Late misery for Galway Utd in away clash with Pat’s
Galway United suffered last-gasp heartbreak for the second time in four games on Monday night to spoil John Caulfield’s 200th game in charge of the Tribesmen.
The visitors looked set to be rewarded for an incredible defensive performance in Richmond Park with a point, but the game’s outstanding performer had other ideas as he capped a brilliant display with a cracking goal to snatch the win for the home side.
Kian Leavy had tormented United all night long, constantly jinking in off the right wing, looking for passes and pops at goal, when his run wasn’t tracked in the 90th minute, he made United pay.
Max Mata played a ball to Jason McClelland, who carried possession into the United danger zone before spotting the run of Leavy. His pass was inch-perfect, and Leavy didn’t have to break stride as he connected form just outside the box, drilling a daisy-cutter across Evan Watts and inside the far post.
On the balance of play it was utterly deserved, but there is a fair argument to be made that United deserved to get something from the game considering the effort them put into the contest.
Leavy’s effort was one of just four that the home side had on target throughout the game, despite almost exclusive ownership of possession: so one-sided was it at times, it felt like a game of backs v forwards.
The home side came into the game on the back of dishing out a 4-0 hammering to Dundalk at the Emmet Road venue back on Friday night, and Monday’s starting XI showed just one change from that win, with McClelland coming in for Zach Elbouzedi, who picked up an injury in that win.
Having gone with a flat back four against Sligo Rovers, John Caulfield went with a more defensive five-man defence with Wasiri Williams coming back into the side as the right-sided centre-back.
Aaron Bolger was the one sacrificed for that switch, one of two changes from that derby win as Ed McCarthy also dropped to the bench, with Francely Lomboto brought back in to terrorise the Saints defence with his pace.
However, his pace is only a factor if he uses it: the United manager felt the need to roar at the returning striker on more than one occasion in the opening 20 minutes, demanding more effort, before his patience finally appeared to snap.
Bolger was called back from warming up around 20 minutes in, and seemed certain to be set to replace Lomboto. It took United 10 minutes to make the change, but when they did, it was for Stephen Walsh, with United clearly feeling the need to get an extra body into midfield.
Walsh wasn’t happy – he walked straight to the bench, failing to shake hands with either Bolger or any of the management team, but he had been struggling, the exertions of a fine performance on Friday night clearly having taken it out of the veteran record appearance holder.
United did look more solid in the 15 minutes between the change and half-time, and something did need to change as the home side utterly dominated possession and territory, but for all that, Watts was barely tested in the United goal, and instead it was the visitors who had the best chance of the half.
It was their one and only sight of goal in the opening 45 minutes, and it came in the 38th minute when Arthur Parker somehow wriggled free into the box in possession. He went for the far post, but Joseph Anang managed to get a touch to push the ball out for a corner.
Killian Brouder did have to throw himself in front of a Leavy shot at the other end three minutes earlier; while Watts used his feet to block a Leavy cross-cum-shot, but it was United who were the happier side after a scoreless first-half.
The second-half followed much the same pattern as the first, with Pats owning the ball and United working incredibly hard to deny them any clear sight of Watts’ goal. That worked, by and large, though Ryan Edmondson sprung into life in the 48th minute after a largely anonymous first-half to test Watts, who was up to the task at his near post.
The irrepressible Leavy picked out Romal Palmer, who scuffed an effort wide; while Watts blocked McClelland’s effort from a narrow angle. United didn’t really threaten in the second-half, a tame Bolger effort straight at Anang being the sum total of their efforts on target as the late misery befell them once again.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Redmond, Hoare (Boyce 74), Turner; Browne (Mata 74), Baggeley, Lennon (inj, Nugent 70), McClelland; Leavy, Palmer (Forrester 61); Edmondson (Keena 61).
Galway United: Watts; Parker, Williams, Brouder, Facchinieri, Devitt; Barratt (Wolfe 61), Hurley, Keohane (McCarthy 83); Walsh (Bolger 32), Lomboto (Twardek 61).
Referee: Aaron O’Dowd (Donegal).