Sligo Rovers and Galway United couldn’t be separated in this Connacht derbyas they played out a 1-1 draw at the Showgrounds.
Ryan Connolly returned to haunt his former club on ten minutes as he made the most of some slack Sligo defending. However, a quick reply from Dinny Corcoran ensured the sides would share the spoils. Connolly sent Galway into the ascendancy ten minutes in. Gavin Peers’ poor clearance gifted possession to Galway’s Jake Keegan. The young winger took full advantage as he found Connolly inside the area and Mayo man neatly tucked the ball beyond Richard Brush in the Sligo net.
The lead lasted just seven minutes however as the Bit O’Red mustered an equaliser on soon after. Sander Puri’s header was pushed away by Conor Winn but Corcoran was on hand to squeeze the ball between Winn and his front post for the equaliser.
Rovers’ Morten Nielsen headed over from distance on 20, while Galway’s Connolly sent his chipped effort narrowly wide four minutes later.
Brush was on hand to push away Ryan Curran’s low shot after Danny Ledwith conceded possession in midfield on the half hour mark. Keegan’s spinning volley a minute from the break soared over Brush’s crossbar as the teams went in at the break at one a piece.
Galway’s David O’Leary scrambled Corcoran’s header off the United goal line eight minutes into the second half. Meanwhile Eoin Wearen had Winn worried on the hour as his twisting effort whistled over the United crossbar.
Cunningham should have done better with his next chance on 79 when he latched on to the end of a cross from Connolly. The striker’s tame effort was however, easily saved by a grateful Brush.
Gary Armstrong’s superb touch from a searching long ball from fellow sub Keith Ward set up Corcoran five minutes from time, but the former Bohs man was unable to correctly weight his attempted lob as the ball landed on the roof of Winn’s net.
Joseph Ndo’s side were afforded one last chance in the second minute of added time, but Ward could only find the grasp of Winn who was comfortable with the Dubliner’s placed effort.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Alan Keane, Gavin Peers, Gary Boylan, Danny Ledwith (Regan Donelon 55); Sander Puri, David Cawley, Eoin Wearen, Raffaele Cretaro (Keith Ward 75); Morten Nielsen (Gary Armstrong 68), Dinny Corcoran.
Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Paul Sinnott, Stephen Walsh, Mark Ludden; Jake Keegan, David O’Leary, Alex Byrne, Ryan Connolly, Kevin Garcia (Gary Shanahan 67); Enda Curran (Padraic Cunningham 67).
Honours even in the west as Sligo and Galway share the points
Updated at 08.00
Sligo Rovers 1
Galway United 1
Sligo Rovers and Galway United couldn’t be separated in this Connacht derbyas they played out a 1-1 draw at the Showgrounds.
Ryan Connolly returned to haunt his former club on ten minutes as he made the most of some slack Sligo defending. However, a quick reply from Dinny Corcoran ensured the sides would share the spoils. Connolly sent Galway into the ascendancy ten minutes in. Gavin Peers’ poor clearance gifted possession to Galway’s Jake Keegan. The young winger took full advantage as he found Connolly inside the area and Mayo man neatly tucked the ball beyond Richard Brush in the Sligo net.
The lead lasted just seven minutes however as the Bit O’Red mustered an equaliser on soon after. Sander Puri’s header was pushed away by Conor Winn but Corcoran was on hand to squeeze the ball between Winn and his front post for the equaliser.
Rovers’ Morten Nielsen headed over from distance on 20, while Galway’s Connolly sent his chipped effort narrowly wide four minutes later.
Brush was on hand to push away Ryan Curran’s low shot after Danny Ledwith conceded possession in midfield on the half hour mark. Keegan’s spinning volley a minute from the break soared over Brush’s crossbar as the teams went in at the break at one a piece.
Galway’s David O’Leary scrambled Corcoran’s header off the United goal line eight minutes into the second half. Meanwhile Eoin Wearen had Winn worried on the hour as his twisting effort whistled over the United crossbar.
Cunningham should have done better with his next chance on 79 when he latched on to the end of a cross from Connolly. The striker’s tame effort was however, easily saved by a grateful Brush.
Gary Armstrong’s superb touch from a searching long ball from fellow sub Keith Ward set up Corcoran five minutes from time, but the former Bohs man was unable to correctly weight his attempted lob as the ball landed on the roof of Winn’s net.
Joseph Ndo’s side were afforded one last chance in the second minute of added time, but Ward could only find the grasp of Winn who was comfortable with the Dubliner’s placed effort.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Alan Keane, Gavin Peers, Gary Boylan, Danny Ledwith (Regan Donelon 55); Sander Puri, David Cawley, Eoin Wearen, Raffaele Cretaro (Keith Ward 75); Morten Nielsen (Gary Armstrong 68), Dinny Corcoran.
Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Paul Sinnott, Stephen Walsh, Mark Ludden; Jake Keegan, David O’Leary, Alex Byrne, Ryan Connolly, Kevin Garcia (Gary Shanahan 67); Enda Curran (Padraic Cunningham 67).
Referee: Anthony Buttimer.
Man of the match: Ryan Connolly (Galway United)
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