Poor Galway United hold on for a point in dour clash
Galway United could find themselves in a lot of trouble this season if they produce many more performances like this one on Friday night, as two poor sides shared the spoils on a night in which a game never threatened to break out.
The opening-half display from the home side was arguably their worst 45 minutes of football in some time, and while they did improve in the second-half, they were coming from such a low base that that is hardly a ringing endorsement.
They trailed at the break, last year’s First Division champions taking a 12th minute lead from the first attack of note in the game; but two goals in a 10-minte spell early in the second-half had them in possession of the three points.
As is their wont in recent years, United dropped deeper and deeper towards their own goal as the half wore on, looking to protect their slender lead, and even had a double substitution lined-up for a number of minutes to bolster that defensive mind.
Not for the first time, they paid the price for that negative mindset, when Bobby Burns came back to haunt his old side, drilling home an 81st minute equaliser, with the two subs – Conor McCormack and Mattie Wolfe – both still waiting to come on.
United manager John Caulfield said after the game that a mix-up between the bench and the fourth official delayed their introduction: that may have been the case, but surely there was a case to bin those changes once the visitors had drawn level, and instead go for the win, but it wasn't until the final minute that new striker, Frantz Pierrot was introduced, along with Axel Piesold, the double change that would have been more appropriate 10 minutes or so earlier.
It was a game that had a very familiar feel to it: the first four names on the Dundalk team-sheet were all recent United players (Conor Kearns, Conor O’Keefe, Burns, and Aodh Dervin; while the fifth was Galway native, Daryl Horgan.
Familiar, also, was the United starting XI, which showed just two changes from the side that started in Richmond Park four nights earlier, Aaron Bolger coming in for Francely Lomboto and Wasiri Williams being replaced by Ed McCarthy, the latter’s inclusion pointing to a switch to a flat back four as opposed to the five-man defence deployed in that heartbreaking last-gasp loss to Pats.
There seemed to be a general anathema to playing the ball on the ground in a dreadful first-half, with United most guilty of one aimless hoof being followed by another: the club can make all the appeals it wants for locals to get out and get behind the team, but if that’s the dross that is being served-up, you can’t blame people for staying away.
The visitors marginally shaded what was a pretty forgettable first-half, and it was hard to begrudge them the lead, which they took in the 12th minute with a goal that caught everyone by surprise.
There seemed little danger when Horgan collected a booming clearance from Kearns down at the left corner of the car-park end of the ground.
The former Irish international seemed to be well marshalled, but he somehow dug out a cross which Gbemi Arubi met at the near post, and the Dubliner sent a glancing header across goal and inside Evan Watts’ far post.
Watts had to be sharp to deny Eoin Kenny with his feet in the 19th minute; and the youngster scuffed another shot at the United shot-stopper.
United never worked Kearns, with two weak headers their only efforts on goal in the opening 45 minutes, and its being generous to even call them that. Their discipline was also disappointing, giving away 11 free-kicks in that opening period: it really was a tough watch.
To be fair to the United management team, they weren’t blind to the poor display, and for the second game in succession, Caulfield pulled the trigger on a substitution before the break, this time introducing Kris Twardek for Connor Barratt in the 41st minute, and once again, the Canadian had a major impact off the bench.
He had a part in both goals, with an assist for Stephen Walsh's equaliser in the 51st minute and scoring himself 11 minutes later. David Hurley had a big part to play in the equaliser as well, dispossessing Kenny just inside the United half and playing a ball up towards the United front two.
Twardek controlled on his chest and got into the box before the ball broke off O'Keeffe into the path of Walsh, who fired under Kearns for his first goal of the season.
Twardek then headed United in front in the 62nd minute, stooping at the back post to nod home a Jimmy Keohane free-kick – it was his second goal of the season, both coming from off the bench, and he surely needs to be in the starting XI.
Dundalk began to press, United began to drop, and Burns made them pay, firing home in the 81st minute after a Dundalk corner was only half-cleared. United were hanging on in the end, with Dundalk hitting the woodwork and the home side having Watts to thank for a fine save from Harry Groome, the full-time whistle being greeted by sighs of relief both at having held on for a point, and that the game was over.
GALWAY UNITED: Watts; Parker, Facchinieri, Brouder, Devitt; Bolger, Barratt (Twardek 41); Keohane (Piesold 89), Hurley (Wolfe 81), McCarthy (McCormack 81); Walsh (Pierrot 89).
DUNDALK: Kearns; JR Wilson, O’Keeffe, Cornwall, Burns; Buckley (T Wilson 68), Dervin (McDaid 68); Teahan, Kenny (Mullen 68), Horgan; Arubi (Groome 68).
Referee: Alan Patchell (Dublin).