Shamrock Rovers extend unbeaten run against Galway

by · The42

Shamrock Rovers 2

Galway United 0

Paul Buttner reports from Tallaght Stadium

GOALS LATE IN each half from Danny Grant and Aaron Greene made it five games unbeaten for the champions, but Shamrock Rovers had to work hard for these three points against an ever tenacious Galway United to consolidate third place in the Premier Division table.

A late Dylan Watts goal sealed Rovers’ 22nd record-extending League of Ireland title when these sides last met in October.

And while Galway have not beaten Rovers in 39 games stretching back to 2006, this was another closely contested encounter.

Stephen Bradley wasn’t at all happy with the state of the Tallaght Stadium pitch following a schools rugby cup final played on it on St Patrick’s Day, the Hoops’ head coach describing the surface as awful and in the worst condition he has ever seen it.

Nonetheless, Rovers began brightly, passing the ball well as they probed for openings.

But it was route one play that brought their first chance on 10 minutes, from which they really should have taken the lead.

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Arsenal-bound 17-year-old Victor Ozhianvuna played a sublime ball from deep straight down the middle for the run of Graham Burke.

And while Galway’s appeals for offside didn’t bring a linesman’s flag, right-back Arthur Parker played the whistle to get back and make a goal-saving tackle on the Hoops number 10.

Though living off scraps, Galway, without suspended head coach John Caulfield in their dugout, were proving dangerous in transition.

Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty had to be smartly off his line to dive at the feet of Kris Twardek as the winger strained to get on the end of Ed McCarthy’s fine diagonal ball.

While Rovers continued to own much of the football, they were labouring to create chances in the final third as Galway kept their shape and discipline well in frustrating their hosts.

But that changed after 41 minutes when Rovers finally breached the Tribesmen’s defence.

Left-back Al-Amin Kazeem failed to track the run of winger Grant, who arrived in the middle to sweep home Cory O’Sullivan’s low cross.

Three changes ahead of the second half gave Galway impetus, and they were close to an equaliser four minutes in. Aaron Bolger found Twardek in space on the right with the Canadian drilling not far wide of McGinty’s left-hand post.

That signalled a sustained spell of possession for Galway, substitute Matt Wolfe scrapping the crossbar with a drive from distance on 65 minutes.

Galway remained the better side for much of the second half, Rovers not regaining control of the game until late on.

Adam Brennan had a shot deflected for a corner before they sealed the win in the 86th minute.

Substitute Greene cleverly spun defender Gianfranco Facchineri to get the ball onto his left foot and shoot to the net from just inside the area.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Sobowale (Grace, 71), Lopes, C. O’Sullivan; Grant, Healy, Byrne (J. O’Sullivan, 79), Brennan; Burke (Greene, 64), Ozhianvuna (M. Noonan, 64); McGovern (Mulraney, 64).

Galway United: Watts; Parker (Wofle, h-t), Facchineri, Brouder, Kazeem (Piesold, h-t); Twardek, Bolger, Barratt, McCarthy (Lomboto, 59); Hurley (Devitt, h-t); Walsh (Pierrot, 59).

Referee: Aaron O’Dowd (Dublin).

Attendance: 4,748.

League of Ireland First Division results:

  • Kerry 1-0 Finn Harps
  • UCD 0-1 Cork City
  • Treaty United 2-0 Athlone Town
  • Cobh Ramblers 1-1 Bray Wanderers