Derby defeat leaves hapless Galway United in dire straits

Sligo Rovers 1

By Mike Rafferty at Eamonn Deacy Park

IT was Galway United's first game at Eamonn Deacy Park following the passing of assistant manager Ollie Horgan and with his family present, a minute's ovation from a crowd of 3500 was a fitting tribute to a popular individual who served the game well. A man who epitomised the words passion and spirit will hopefully have passed on those same traits to all those involved with the club.

Monday night, however, was not a memorable occasion for the home faithful as the failure to gain any reward from this League of Ireland Premier Division contest proved a massive disappointment. Going into the game Galway United and Sligo Rovers were joint second from bottom of the table, with the visitors in the lower position because of a poorer goal difference. However, the consequences of this loss moved Sligo up two places in the table and redirected Galway United to the relegation play-off position.

The facts don't lie. The last ten games saw United pick up three measley points following draws with St Patrick's Athletic, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne. In the same spell, Sligo accumulated 16 points, with four wins and four draws and from a time when they were well adrift in the bottom two and seemingly in an impossible position, they have turned matters around in their fight for Premier survival.

United, unfortunately, have gone in the opposite direction and while just two goals scored in the last six league games tells some of the story, the team’s home blues also continue as this was their seventh time to be beaten on the Dyke Road this season. It is also the third defeat in succession against the Bit O'Red.

Galway United's style of play is pretty unique to them as they try to get the ball into the last third of the park quickly and directly. It is occasionally rewarding, but against sides with strong physical players in central defence, it can often be a fruitless exercise.

This contest was the perfect example of that as United loaded ball after ball into the box, but the twin towers that were Gareth McElroy and Patrick McClean repelled them time and again as they repeatedly frustrated the home side  Furthermore, numerous other players put their bodies on the line as near-total Galway dominance in the closing half hour was unrewarded.

United made two changes to the selection that drew 1-1 with St Patrick's Athletic on the Friday night. Killian Brouder returned to defence following his suspension, with the introduction of Ed McCarthy the other change. Axel Piesold and Jeremy Sivi were the players to drop to the bench, while David Hurley was suspended following his red card dismissal in Dublin.

The action in the opening quarter was timid, as the box to box exchanges left both goalkeepers pretty redundant. Jimmy Keohane was the first to get a shot on target after being set up by the ever willing McGuinness, but Sam Sargent had his angles covered at the near post. A Keohane set piece delivery offered a home threat, but Garry Buckley's effort on goal was deflected away for a corner. Gradually it was Sligo who got a hold on matters for a spell as their passing and movement stretched the hosts.

While leading scorer Owen Elding kept dropping deep, the striker was not far off target with a flick header, before Rob Burns was brave as he stooped low to get ahead of Jad Hakiki and clear a Will Fitzgerald cross. Another Burns interception once more deprived Hakiki after Elding had provided the telling through ball  just before the break. The very impressive Hakiki then just failed to get on the end of an Elding dink into the box as the ball eventually drifted wide.

United were occasionally getting some benefit on the flanks as Burns and Esua delivered from out wide, but finding a fellow player was a rare treat. There was one opportunity just before the break when Jeannot Esua crossed from the right, and his delivery deflected off a Sligo player and onto Patrick Hickey, but he knew little about it as the rebound fell into the arms of the grateful Sargent. Of course, the long throw ins of both McCarthy and Brouder were always ammunition for United, but too often the goalmouth scrambles that ensued produced no reward.

When a wayward pass as United exited their defence went astray, it presented Elding with a run on goal, but the advancing Clarke deflected the shot away for a corner. The resulting corner by Fitzgerald set up the match winner as his deep delivery was headed back into the danger area by McClean.

As Clarke advanced to try and collect, half time substitute Cian Kavanagh got a back flick that evaded everyone as it nestled in the net to give Sligo Rovers a 1-0 advantage on 54 minutes. They almost added a second moments later when an Edwin Agbeja shot deflected off Hakiki and went just over.

With the occasional rare exception thereafter, Sligo were in retreat mode as the home side dominated possession and offered threats from left and right. Stephen Walsh and Jeremy Sivi were introduced for Bolger and McCarthy as the home side continued to do all the pressing.

In truth, it was a difficult watch, as shot after shot and cross after cross went in for no reward. Credit Sligo, they defended deep and in numbers and it worked, before the outstanding Hakiki had a shot that had Clarke at full stretch to push away for a fruitless corner. On 87 minutes, McGuinness got to the byline and pulled a ball back that Sargent dropped, but there was no one there to avail of the chance.

Subsequently, a corner from Kirrane set up McGuinness close to goal, but with Sargent literally on top of him, his shot deflected off the goalkeeper and landed on top of the netting.

In the last throw of the dice, a Sivi cross was met by the head of McGuinness but his effort was covered by the custodian.

There is no doubt that the commitment and effort of the players is unfailing, but good fortune is not on Galway United side at the moment, but all will know that nothing less than a win against bottom of the table Cork City this Friday night in Eamonn Deacy Park will suffice.

Galway United: Clarke, Esua, Buckley, Brouder (Borden ), Burns, Slevin, Bolger (Walsh 64mins), McCarthy (Sivi 64mins), Keohane, Hickey, McGuinness.

Sligo Rovers: Sargent, Agbaje, Stewart (Harkin 63), McClaen, McElroy, Quirk (Kavanagh 46mins), McManus (Wolfe 63), O'Kane (McDonagh 83), Fitzgerald, Hakiki, Elding.

Referee: Paul Norton.

Pictured: Galway United's Patrick Hickey leads this charge against Sligo Rovers during Monday's Premier Division tie at Eamonn Deacy Park. Photo: Joe O'Shaughnessy.