Bohemian FC Bray Wanderers Drogheda United Dundalk Shamrock Rovers Sligo Rovers St. Patricks Ath Athlone Town Finn Harps Cork City Derry SD Galway Limerick FC Longford Town Mervue Utd Monaghan United Shelbourne UCD Waterford United Wexford Youths
Premier•First•Underage
 
 
 
Drogheda United 0 Galway United 1
Friday, 10 April 2009 09:36
A smash and grab mission by Galway saw the men from the West get back to winning ways and take all three points from a contest they barely deserved to draw. 


If this one were a boxing contest it would have been stopped long before the Tribesmen struck for the winner ten minutes from the end of a contest they played second fiddle to their opponents to throughout.


Drogheda were on top for the entire first half but in their first sortie up the park Galway were denied the opening goal by the woodwork.  Jay O’Shea slipped a lovely ball in behind the Drogheda defence on the left for Derek O’Brien whose first time cross picked out the inrushing Vinny Faherty who rattled the ball off the bar.


Almost immediately play swung to the other where David O’Connor’s delivery was met by Paul Crowley who flashed his header across the face of goal.


An error by Galway’s Michael McGrath then handed possession to Crowley who unleashed a superb strike from all of thirty yards which keeper Barry Ryan managed to tip over for a corner.


In the space of thirty seconds just before the break Ryan came to Galway’s rescue twice when first he rushed from his line to save at Crowley’s feet before getting down smartly to push a shot from the same player to safety.


Drogheda continued to dominate early on in the second half as James Chambers sent Jamie Duffy racing clear but he drove wide.

Chambers was involved once more in the home sides next move when he delivered the ball into Crowley who headed over.


On the hour the ball fell perfectly for Paul Shiels on the edge of the box but yet again Ryan was well placed to smother his effort and ten minutes later the visitors net minder made yet another save as he watched Duffys free which whipped round the wall and into his arms.


Ten minutes from time Drogheda were caught with the classic sucker punch when Derek O’Brien’s cross was headed into the ground, off the underside of the crossbar and into the net by sub Derek Edwards to give Galway the lead totally against the run of play.


The home side spurned a great opportunity to level matters a couple of minutes after falling behind when Duffy picked out Mark Salmon with a fine ball into the box, however, from ten yards with the goal gaping he miscued his effort and the chance went abegging.


Drogheda:  Williams, Chambers, Clarke, Kenna, Ryan, Shiels, O’Connor (Salmon 61), Crowley, Duffy, Duggan, Whelan. 

Galway:  Ryan, Cooke, Breen, Guthrie, O’Shea, Faherty, O’Brien, Kelly, McBrien (Murphy 74), McGrath (Edwards 58), Davoren (Sinnott 53). 

Referee:  R. Crangle (Belfast)
 
 
 
Website Disclaimer

The information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. The Football Association of Ireland endeavours to keep the information up to date and correct. Fixtures data may change and whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information displayed on this website is correct and up to date, we are not liable for any errors. The Football Association of Ireland takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.