Utd return to make their point at bogey ground

Galway United 1

Galway United returned from the midseason break to take a deserved point from their trip to Dalymount Park on Friday night – they now have another two weeks to reflect on the result after their game with Shamrock Rovers scheduled for this Friday night was postponed.

The decision to scrap Friday’s game was the correct one. Rovers host Rovanieme of Finland in the Europa League qualifiers this Thursday night, but the problem is the FAI knew for some time the dates for first round qualifying, and the Irish teams involved, so surely it wouldn’t have been asking too much to arrange fixtures for this weekend which didn’t involve any of the teams in Europe.

Anyway, suggesting ways the FAI could help improve the league is often as productive as clapping with one hand, so the clubs will just have to once again suffer the indifference of the authorities to the domestic league, one which produced players like Seamus Coleman, Shane Long, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen Ward, James McClean, Darryl Murphy, Stephen Quinn, and David Meyler – in other words, a third of the Irish squad at Euro 2016.

As for Friday night, United bounced back from the concession of an 11th minute goal to go on and dominate the rest of the first-half, and deserved more than the one goal they scored before the break. They were hanging on a bit in the second-half, but still created a couple of decent chances, and all things considered, a draw was the fairest outcome.

United manager Tommy Dunne made four changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Derry City before the midseason break. Marc Ludden (calf) and Enda Curran (groin) were both absent through injury.

Gary Shanahan started on the bench, with Dunne explaining after the game that “the last once or twice here, he found it a bit difficult as they were getting stuck into him”; while Ruairi Keating was dropped for the squad after indicating his desire to leave the club.

That meant returns from injury for Stephen Walsh, Colm Horgan, and Kevin Devaney; while Alex Byrne joined John Sullivan and Ryan Connolly in a three-man midfield.

The heavens opened before kick-off, leaving a very greasy surface and as a result the players struggled to keep their footing, with one such instance leading to Bohs taking the lead in the 11th minute.

The home side had been dominant in the opening stages as United looked leaden-footed, both from the two-week break, and the two-hour trip across the country.

The first threat from Bohs came in the third minute, and resulted in one of three clearances off the line by a United player. Derek Pender drew a good save from Colm Winn for the concession of a corner, but the ’keeper didn’t cover himself in glory when punching the subsequent set-piece up into the air.

Roberto Lopes met the aerial ball to loop a header over the keeper but Walsh was on hand to head off the line at the back post. If that was good play from Walsh, his next involvement eight minutes later was a tad more unfortunate.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.