Late Ward penalty rescues a point for Oscar Traynor side

Galway League  2

A late Keith Ward penalty rescued a merited point for Galway as they came from behind twice to share the spoils with the Clare League in their season opener of the Oscar Traynor Cup in Doora on Saturday evening.

It was an impressive start for the Tribesmen against a side who were beaten finalists last season, and if the finishing was a little sharper, the outcome could have been even more rewarding.

Backboned by players from Mervue United and St Bernard’s, they made a solid start and certainly offered the greater attacking threat in the early stages.

Only a superb save by Clare custodian John Mulready denied Barry Moran, while the energetic and impressive Jason Finn was just wide of the target. The woodwork was also to deny the Abbeyknockmoy native as Galway enjoyed a good early spell.

Clare had their moments too, as Eoin Hayes went close with a header, but with the elements getting nasty, the opportunities began to dry up.

A handball allowed the home side the opportunity to take the lead on 32 minutes and David McCarthy despatched the resulting penalty past Andrew Walsh to make it 1-0.

The response of the visitors was impressive, as just two minutes later, Ward delivered a ball into the box that wasn’t dealt with and substitute Oscar Sibanda applied the close range finish to tie up matters at 1-1.

The Corrib Rangers winger had earlier replaced the injured Jason Finn, while Clare also had their woes as goalkeeper Mulready collected a hand injury and had to be replaced by Darren Whelan after the break.

While Galway appeared to be the better side in the second half, chances were rare at either end, as defences dominated.

However, the Clare League took the lead for the second time on 72 minutes when a Hayes corner was knocked down by Pat Purcell and Paddy O’Malley was first to respond as he finished from close range to make it 2-1.

As time appeared to slide away on them, matters were getting difficult for Galway, but when Keith Ward was upended by Darren Murphy after he drove into the box on 87 minutes, the awarding of a penalty gave the visitors a lifeline. Ward duly picked himself up to slot home the spot kick that levelled matters at 2-2 and gave Galway some meaningful reward for their endeavours.

Afterwards manager Gareth Gorman was lamenting the chances that got away.

“We should have won it as we had plenty of opportunities in the opening half in particular. However, after going behind in the second-half, we were delighted to get an equaliser, as I felt we really deserved something from the game. We certainly had loads of possession, but apart from early on, defences dominated as chances were few and far between,” he said.

Galway League: A Walsh; D Finn, T Walsh Elwood, Woods; J Finn (inj, Sibanda 14), Keane, Ryan, Ward, Moran (Fahy 74), S Walsh.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.