Galway United ease into next round of the FAI Cup

Two goals for Matty Wolfe, and a header apiece from Francely Lomboto and Stephen Walsh, ensured the Tribesmen avoided becoming victims of a cup upset as they made it three wins from three at the home of the Galway GAA.

John Caulfield made six changes to the side that started in the derby win a week ago, but it was still a strong line-up, with Leigh Kavanagh and Dylan Connolly both handed their first starts for the Tribesmen; while there were also starts for Lomboto, Axel Piesold, Lee Devitt, and Wolfe, the derby-winner against Sligo Rovers.

There was also the welcome sight of Kris Twardek on the bench, back in the match-day squad for the first time in seven weeks; and he was joined by United Academy graduates goalkeeper Eoin Doyle, the club's U-20 goalkeeper who came up through Athenry FC's underage system before joining United at U-14; and left-sided defender/midfielder, Conor Whittaker, who plays for the club's U-17s.

Heading into the game, United's targets would have been for a comfortable win, a clean sheet, and to come through it without an injuries, but the third of those three goals ended on the half-hour mark.

Piesold had been the victim of a crunching tackle from James Whelan in then 25th minute, one which earned the Crumlin man a booking.

The United midfielder tried to continue, but sat down in the 28th minute looking for treatment; and while he re-joined the fray after some work from United physio, Richard Grier, he was back on the ground three minutes later and was replaced by Twardek.

The home side were 2-0 up at that stage, though they weren't getting anything easy from the visitors, who weren't afraid to commit men forward when they got the chance.

United had taken the lead from the penalty spot in the 11th minute, a trip by Sam Conway on Stephen Walsh leaving referee Declan Toland with no option than to award the penalty, and Wolfe smashed his effort high and hard down the middle to send United on their way.

Lomboto was looking lively in the early stages, but perhaps a bit too keen to make an impression, he took too much out of the ball when a pass was the better option.

He made the impression that counts in the 24th minute, however, when he doubled United's lead.

Connolly found himself on the left wing, covering for Jimmy Keohane, who had crossed the pitch to swing in a free-kick. The ball fell to Connolly, who twisted and turned before laying it back to Killian Brouder.

The central defender curled a cross to the back post, where Walsh nodded it back across the face of goal, and Lomboto drilled a header home from close range.

In between those two goals, United needed Hugo Da Cunha to preserve their lead, the big goalkeeper getting down well to push away an Eoghan Roe shot from 15 yards that looked destined for the inside of the far post.

Had he been beaten, it would have made for some uncomfortable minutes for United, but any stress was taken out of the game when they made it 3-0 in the 38th minute. It came from a set-piece, Keohane sending in a corner from the right, and Wolfe headed home with the aid of a slight deflection.

Local lad James Morahan was introduced to the action at the start of the second-half; and he was joined on the pitch six minutes later by fellow Academy graduate, Junior Thiam, just before Crumlin restarted the game, having conceded a fourth goal.

Twardek got the assist, sending a curling cross from the left wing all the way to the back post and onto the head of Walsh, who won't score an easier goal all season, heading home unmarked from centimetres out, if even that.

Da Cunha had to be alert to pull down Jude Healy's shot from distance from just under the crossbar in the 55th minute, before United's final substitutions a minute later saw Whittaker introduced for his debut.

He went close to marking the occasion with a goal on the hour mark, but his cross-cum-shot from the left just missed curling inside the far post.

Crumlin kept battling away, and almost pulled a goal back in the 67th minute when Enzo Davila, introduced as a sub just four minutes earlier, hit the angle of the post and crossbar after a galloping run through the United defence by Dan Dobbin.

United's fifth change was Aaron Bolger, and he went close to adding a fifth 15 minutes from time when, spotting Morgan Daly off his line, he chipped the Crumlin goalkeeper from 30 yards, but Rian Egan was covering back, and managed to back-head Bolger's effort over the crossbar for a corner.

It mattered little in the end.

Galway United: Da Cunha; Barratt (Morahan h-t), Kavanagh, Brouder, Devitt; Connolly (Whittaker 56), Piesold (inj, Twardek 32), Wolfe (Thiam 51), Keohane; Walsh (Bolger 56), Lomboto.

Crumlin United: Daly; Goad, Egan, Lynch (Musodi 83), Heffernan (Brennann 55); Whelan, Dobbin; Roe, Conway, Healy (Davila 63); Moorhouse (L Burdock 83).

Referee: Declan Toland (Athlone).

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