Top scorer Emma Doherty rescues point for Galway United against Sligo Rovers
WITH just two wins from the last seven league games, Galway United's National League ambitions have taken quite a hit in slipping four points behind leaders Athlone Town, while a Shelbourne win over the weekend has also relegated Phil Trill's charges to third position in the table.
At the Showgrounds on Saturday, United dropped points against the local Rovers for the first time ever as they had to come from behind to secure a point. In fairness ,Sligo are on a ten match unbeaten run and, along with Athlone, are the form team of the moment.
With central defender Remini Tillotson suspended following her sending off against Bohemians a week previously, the occasion saw a first start for American recruit Ella Raimondi, while Aoibheann Costello, Aisling Meaney and Amy Tierney came into the starting eleven at the expense of Lynsey McKey, Anna McGough, Aoibhinn Donnelly and Tillotson.
For Sligo, Grace Dunaway is a new recruit and after going close twice in the early exchanges, when firstly denied by a McQuillan save and later firing just wide of the far post, she eventually made a breakthrough on 26 minutes when putting Sligo 1-0 ahead.
The visitors were finding it hard to break down a confident home side, but were rewarded with the equaliser on 50 minutes when leading scorer Emma Doherty was all alone at the far post to head in a well flighted Emma Jane Grant corner.
Otherwise, chances were hard to find in the contest with Niamh Farrelly the closest United came to taking the spoils.
After winning seven and drawing one of their first eight games, the fall off in form in Utd’s recent games is alarming. Draws against Waterford, Shamrock Rovers and Sligo, allied to a first league defeat of the season against Bohemians, has seen Galway United on the chase of the table toppers instead of leading the pack.
The United Women are on the road again on Saturday when they face tenth placed Waterford at 3pm. When the teams last met in Headford in June, matters finished level at 1-1, with Cara Griffin getting the United goal.
Galway United: McQuillan, Mullins, Grant, Cotter, Raimondi, Beletic, Farrelly, Tierney (Donnelly 63), Costello, Meaney (Griffin 74), Doherty.
Sligo Rovers: McKiernan, Hallinan (McCaffrey 60), Doherty, Jordan, Duffy (McGrory 85), Dunaway (Dionicio 85mins), Karolak, Rush, Lillie, McDaniel (King 13), Mersereau.
Referee: Michael Connolly.