Galway United claim derby bragging rights in The Showgrounds

It was harsh on the home side, who had been the better team, but when you are rooted to the foot of the table and as good as doomed to relegation, it is typical of your luck, but that won't matter a jot for the jubilant visitors who can claim the Connacht bragging rights.

The home side had taken the lead in the 8th minute, but Keohane had United level from the spot 10 minutes later. A Walsh header had United in front at the break, and after soaking up an inordinate amount of pressure in the second-half, Keohane sealed the points with a second penalty five minutes from time.

United made one change from the side that suffered a heartbreaking loss to Bohs on Friday night, as David Hurley came in to the side, with Al-Amin Kazeem the one to make way.

The home side also came in to the game on the back of a defeat, a 2-0 loss away to Drogheda United hammering another nail into their relegation coffin, and manager Darren Purse reacted by making an incredible six changes to his side, including handing a debut to Academy goalkeeper, Liam Hughes, who was joined by two other Academy players, Aidan Gabbidon, who was also making his debut; and Reuben Gillespie, who made his debut off the bench in that Friday night defeat.

The certainly did not play like novices, as it was the home side who dominated the early stages, with United unable to get any kind of tempo going against a side that hadn't scored in four games, or picked up a win in their last six, to see them cut adrift at the foot of the table. So naturally enough, it was they who opened the scoring.

Cian Kavanagh had scored twice for Sligo in the Pearse Stadium meeting between the sides in July, and he didn't take long to make his mark in The Showgrounds. Gabbidon dug out a cross from deep on the right, finding James McManus who laid it off to Kavanagh, and he controlled before turning on a sixpence and shooting from about 15 yards, his effort taking a slight deflection to wrong-foot Hugo Da Cunha for the opener.

The home side had gone close to opening the scoring in the very first minute, but Da Cunha pulled off a fine save to deny Gabbidon, with Anto O'Connor throwing himself in the path of Kavanagh's follow-up. You worried that Kavanagh's goal would pump the home side full of confidence, and chip away at any fragile state United's minds might have been in, but they got back on level terms 10 minutes after falling behind.

Jimmy Keohane was possession on the left about 25 yards out, and feigned to shoot before sliding a precision pass to Kris Twardek. The Canadian took a touch before turning goalwards, when he went down under contact. Referee Rob Harvey pointed to the spot, perhaps somewhat generously, but Keohane took full advantage, blasting a shot into the bottom right corner as Hughes went the wrong way.

The young keeper had his captain to thank for bailing him our of trouble three minutes later when he came off his line to challenge Twardek. The United man played it square to Keohane, who hit it first time, but Carl McHugh was on hand to head clear with the goal gaping.

The home side were looking dangerous going forward, playing some nice flowing football and often finding the pass to get in behind the United defence, and a couple of times it took last-ditch United tackles to snuff out the danger, including in the 39th minute, when Hurley nicked the ball off the toe of Gillespie.

Crucially, he showed the composure to slide a pass left to Keohane, rather than just horsing it clear, and United made it count. The United captain led the counter-attack before playing it to Twardek on his left. He took a touch and turned back inside on his right foot before sending in a cross to the back post, where Stephen Walsh rose highest to head home for his second goal in two games to see United lead 2-1 at the break.

Just as they had in the first-half, the home side got on top from the restart and were almost back on level terms within 60 seconds. A sloppy pass saw United surrender possession just inside their own half, and Archie Meekison gathered and played Jack Shorrock clear through on goal. He opted to shoot from 20 yards, and his effort beat Da Cunha, but the ball pinged off the butt of the left-hand post and away to safety.

United made a couple of changes just five minutes into the second-half, introducing Francely Lomboto and Frantz Pierrot for Walsh and Connor Barratt, but the home side continued to look the most dangerous, with Kavanagh in particular giving the United defenders a torrid time.

He almost had his side back on level terms in the 65th minute when capitalising on hesitancy between Da Cunha and Wasiri Williams, who each left a McManus ball over the top for the other to deal with. Kavanagh got in between the duo and got his shot away, but Da Cunha saved and Lee Devitt cleared the loose ball.

Anto O'Connor then had to throw himself in front of another Kavanagh piledriver two minutes later as a home side that is seemingly doomed to the drop decided to not go down without a fight - United could do worse than try to tempt Kavanagh to Eamonn Deacy Park next season.

United were struggling to get out of their own half - it was often a tough watch from a visitors' perspective - and it needed some last-ditch blocks to prevent Da Cunha from being overworked, though they were lucky that Kavanagh was off balance when Kaiyne Woolery found him unmarked 15 yards out in the 83rd minute, and the striker failed to get a decent connection of his shot.

A minute later, Luke Young landed a 30-yard dipping free-kick onto the roof of Da Cunha's net, and you really had to wonder how the home side find themselves in relegation trouble, before they gifted their Connacht rivals the three points when conceding a second penalty five minutes from time.

Keohane played a through-ball for Dylan Connolly, who had been introduced 10 minutes earlier, and he just got a touch before the advancing Hughes, who sent him sprawling. Harvey pointed to the spot, and Keohane drilled it down the middle to secure the win.

Sligo Rovers: Hughes; Gabbidon (Pearce 70), McElroy, McHugh, Stewart; McManus, Meekison, Young, Gillespie (Woolery 53), Shorrock; Kavanagh.

Galway United: Da Cunha; Barratt (Pierrot 50), Williams, O'Connor, Facchineri; Devitt, Hurley (Thiam 90), Bolger, Keohane; Twardek (Connolly 76), Walsh (Lomboto 50).

Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).