30 SPORT
SIN Vol. 22 Issue 03
Last gasp students sink Galway Peamount power Galway United 2-2 UCD By Oisín Bradley at Eamonn Deacy Park Evan Weir’s brace in the final ten minutes was enough to break Galway hearts and seemingly scupper their promotion hopes in the penultimate fixture of the First Division season. Play-Off hopefuls The result had seen Galway crash out of promotion contention. However, following a successful appeal by Wexford Youths for fielding an ineligible player, Cabinteely slipped out of the play-off spots, to the delight of John Caulfield’s side. As the clock ticked into the dying seconds, it seemed that Stephen Christopher’s 42nd-minute strike would be enough to put John Caulfield’s men into the play-off spots, however Weir’s 81st-minute poacher’s goal and last-gasp screamer flipped the tie on its head. Results elsewhere went United’s way, and had they held on in the final ten minutes, it would have been them, not Longford Town finishing in fourth place and heading to the UCD Bowl this weekend. Both sides made two changes from their last fixtures. In the Galway side, Wilson Waweru and Stephen Christopher were brought in in place of Timmy Molloy and Enda Curran for the hosts, while the men from Belfield had Jack Kearns and Michael Gallagher making way from their recent 5-1 thrashing of Cabinteely. Paul Doyle and Eoin Farrell were the fresh faces introduced by Andy Myler. The first half was one of few chances, as opportunities to ripple the net were at a premium for both sides. That said, the hosts were putting more pressure on the students. Galway always looked more dangerous coming down the left flank via Shane Doherty, and were consistent in putting pressure on the UCD defence from placed balls. However, in the opening 30 the Dublin outfit coped well with any chances that fell their way. In contrast to Galway, UCD offered very little offensively and barring a dan-
gerous free-kick only 20 yards out, had few chances to ripple Kevin Horgan’s net. Eleven minutes in, Mikey Place found himself in possession just inside the box. The ex-Finn Harps man produced an inch-perfect chance which looked destined for the bottom corner, however Paul Doyle produced last-ditch heroics to thwart Place and deflect behind. Shane Doherty was causing serious headaches to the UCD rear-guard, driving down the flank and asking big questions of the full-back. Doherty fired a dangerous ball across the box 18 minutes in, but the ball was marginally behind Wilson Waweru as it sailed across the box. Whilst the away side were struggling to offer any penetration, they would be the ones to force a save first with 36 minutes on the clock. Colm Whelan was played a precise through ball by Liam Kerrigan to send him on his way. Whelan did well to turn Galway defender Killian Brouder and get a powerful shot off, it was a shot which was too central to cause any real issues for shot-stopper Kevin Horgan. Whelan was causing all sorts of quandaries in the Galway box moments later as he turned the defence inside out. The shot was once again tame from the man in sky blue, who just couldn’t provide the crucial finishing touch. With four minutes to half time, dangerman Doherty raced away and produced an excellent effort, and Lorcan Healy had to be at his best between the UCD posts to get low and tip the ball behind. A minute later the pressure told, and Andy Myler’s charges caved. A corner produced what could only be described as pinball in the box, and when the ball fell to Stephen Christopher on the edge of the area, he did well to latch onto the ball and fire past an all at sea UCD defence and edge in front before the second half. Galway sat back after the break and looked to soak up the UCD pressure, and in truth you could see in the visitor’s style of play that they were secure in their position in the playoff places.
It took thirty minutes for the first real chance of act two to rear its head. Paul Doyle cut inside from the right flank before unleashing a curling effort which beat the outstretched glove of Horgan. Unfortunately for UCD, it creeped just wide of the post. 81 minutes in, the first real hammer blow to Galway’s promotion hopes came via the left boot of Evan Weir. Harry McEvoy’s cross from deep on the right flank was high and looping, and Weir drifted in at the far post to draw blood with a deft first-time strike. John Caulfield rang the changes after the UCD goal, with Francely Lomboto, Conor Barry and last weekend’s hero Carlton Ubaezuonu looking to make themselves the heroes of the hour. There was little that anyone could do about Weir’s sumptuous 89th-minute free-kick however. Weir was 35 metres out, but his free-kick was truly unstoppable, dipping under the crossbar just in time to ripple the net and leave the hosts at the base of a mountain. Despite the seemingly impossible task at hand, Galway steadfastly refused to give up the ghost. Their persistence paid off, when Shane Duggan produced a thunderous strike from 30 yards out which nestled perfectly into the top corner. Despite this, it proved to be too little too late, and Tribesmen will be left to wonder what might have been. Galway United face Longford Town in the First Division Play-Off Final at the UCD bowl on Friday 6th November, Kick-Off 7.45 pm. Galway United: Kevin Horgan, Jack Lynch(Timmy Molloy 45+1’), Marc Ludden, Killian Brouder, Maurice Nugent, Shane Duggan, Mikey Place(Carlton Ubaezuonu 67’), Shane Doherty(Vinny Faherty 85’), Stephen Christopher(Conor Barry 85’), Sam Warde, Wilson Waweru(Francely Lomboto 85’). UCD: Lorcan Healy, Harry McEvoy, Josh Colins, Luke Boore, Liam Kerrigan, Yoyo Nahdy, Colm Whelan, Mark Dignam(Dara Keane 61’), Paul Doyle, Evan Weir, Eoin Farrell. Referee: Mark Moynihan.
Photo: Oisín Bradley
past Galway in opening fixture Galway WFC 0-2 Peamount FC
Photo: Oisín Bradley
By Oisín Bradley Sports Editor Goals from Aine O’Gorman and Lucy McCartan mean Galway WFC will head into matchday two of the Second Phase of the Wpmen’s National League without a win to their name after their defeat to Peamount at Eamonn Deacy Park. In truth it was a game in which Peamount’s quality told, and whilst the hosts battled hard, the International quality in Peamount’s ranks was clear on the pitch. O’Gorman’s header in the opening half edged the Dublin side ahead, before McCartan’s shot on goal in the dying moments doubled the deficit and sealed the result. Galway made one change to the starting eleven that swept aside Cork in their previous outing, with Chloe Singleton replacing Aoife Walsh, while the Peas had three different players from their starting side against DLR Waves. Opportunities to break the deadlock were light on the ground early on, and Peamount probably had the clearer of the chances, when Alannah McEvoy fed Niamh Farrelly in the centre. Farrelly shot early, but the host’s defence acted quickly to smother the attempt. The girls in maroon had the game’s first real moment ten minutes in, when a sumptuous chipped delivery from Savannah McCarthy unlocked the defence and set Aoife Thompson bearing down on Niamh Reid-Burke’s goal. Thompson’s shot was ultimately tame, and Reid-Burke held it with little fuss. Ten minutes later, it was Galway goalkeeper, Amanda Budden who was called into action. An attempted Galway clearance was smartly blocked and the ball fell to O’Gorman outside the box. The Peamount skipper produced a finelystruck shot curling for the far post, but Budden’s fine diving save pushed the ball behind the post. There was little the keeper could do about the resulting corner however, and O’Gorman displayed strong aerial prowess to leap highest and head home to edge her charges ahead. Billy Clery’s women were spurred on by conceding, and for the remainder of the half they were the ones pushing the visitors from Greenogue. 39 minutes in, Lynsey McKey tested Reid-Burke’s reflexes with a low-driven shot to the near corner. The ‘keeper reacted well to get a hand to the effort. Two minutes later, Chloe Singleton’s cross looked like it would be dipping below the crossbar, however it just grazed the bar and went out. Just after, Jaime Turrentine tried her luck with a shot from deep which just went past the left post.
Galway manager Billy Clery rang the changes as the clock ticked past the hour mark, with three substitutions to try and turn the tide about 15 minutes. However, the Terryland outfit struggled to offer any penetration to a rearguard which was watertight. Peamount mustered the first proper attempt of the second half when Karen Duggan found the ball at her feet in the 67th minute. Her shot contained a good deal of power, however the accuracy was marginally off as the shot inched over the bar. There were lengthy delays due to clashes of heads midway through the half, and Galway found their groove after that. Substitute Elle O’Flaherty caused headaches for the Peas centreback pairing as she raced into the box, and her daisy-cutter of a shot was agonisingly close as it rolled wide at the far post. A Lynsey McKey cross in the 75th minute was near-perfect, but no Galway attacker could manage to get purchase on the ball and it sailed across the goal. The crucial goal which sunk the host’s hopes of an opening-day result came ten minutes from time. A fine cross found the feet of Lucy McCartan, who placed the ball expertly to leave the hosts with a mountain to climb. The league leaders pushed hard to make it three as the clock ticked into the red, and peppered Budden’s goal with chances, however every attempt was frantically scrambled clear. By the time Bartley Folan’s final whistle shrilled, there was a clear winner, and James O’Callaghan will be satisfied with an assured performance as he heads back along the M6. Galway WFC: Amanda Budden, Therese Kinnevey (Tessa Mullins 60’), Shauna Fox, Keara Cormican(C), Shauna Brennan (Rachel Barnes 60’), Savannah McCarthy, Meabh De Burca, Chloe Singleton, Jaime Turrentine (Elle O’Flaherty 60’), Lynsey McKey, Aoife Thompson. Peamount Utd: Niamh Reid-Burke, Lauryn O’Callaghan, Niamh Farrrelly, Claire Walsh, Dearbhile Beirne(Niamh Barnes 86’), Karen Duggan, Lucy McCartan(Tiegan Ruddy 94’), Eleanor Ryan-Doyle(Louise Masterson 94’), Stephanie Roche(Mogan Smyth-Lynch 77’), Alannah McEvoy(Becky Watkins 86’), Aine O’Gorman(C). Referee: Bartley Folan.
