Sheppard and O'Brien fire United to first win

Galway United 2

Bray Wanterers 1

Keith Kelly

It may be a bit premature to make bold statements with the new league season just two games old, but seen as common-sense and sport rarely go hand-in-hand – especially in the domestic soccer league – we’ll ignore convention and suggest Galway United have a star on their hands.

United manager Sean Connor has developed a bit of a habit of unearthing some gems for the League of Ireland – Seamus Coleman, Chris Turner and Fahrudin Kuduzovic spring to mind – and he looks to have repeated the trick with Karl Sheppard.

The Dublin-born striker was plucked from the Everton reserves last month and on Friday night he scored one goal, set up another, hit the post and basically gave the Bray defence such a torrid time that visiting manager Eddie Gormley was forced into a change just a third of the way into the contest. May more performances like this and Sheppard will be on his way back across the Irish Sea.

Speaking after the game, Sheppard said he was “surprised at the intensity” in the League, but on Friday night it was the Bray defence that had the rabbits-in-headlights look as his pace and lines of running tore the Wanderers defence to shreds time and time again.

United were two goals to the good after 27 minutes and at times threatened to run riot against a poor Bray side, but the visitors got back into the game with a scrambled goal four minutes before the break, and in the end United had goalkeeper Barry Ryan to thank for all three points with the captain making a couple of top-class saves late in the game.

Connor made just one change to the side beaten the previous week by St Patrick’s Athletic with Stephen O’Donnell watching from the stands after being sent off against St Pats. Bobby Ryan, who was suspended last week, came into the side, pulling on a United jersey for the first time in eight years to play on the right, and while O’Donnell’s absence was a blow, the inclusion of Ryan and Derek O’Brien on the wings gave United a better balance than last week.Sheppard showed his attacking threat as early as the fourth minute speeding away down the right to get onto the end of Ciaran Foley’s long ball out of defence, and the retreating Nicky Byrne was forced into conceding a free on the edge of the box.

Sheppard proved such a handful, Byrne was probably still twisting and turning in his sleep, and he will be thankful for the act of mercy by Gormley, who ended his misery in the 35th minute when hauling him ashore.

By that stage United were two up, had hit the post and also had a couple of decent penalty appeals turned down, but the switch – while necessary – almost proved inspirational as it was substitute Phillip Knight who pulled a goal back for Bray in the 41st minute, and he was only denied an equaliser in the 90th minute by a stunning reflex save from Ryan.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.