Galway United 0 Sligo Rovers 0
A subdued match shorn of drama concluded with an appropriate result as there was no disguising the fact that a draw was the most just outcome at the end of a surprisingly drab derby.
Galway United might have shaded the contest carving the clearer openings, but there was a ruggedness to this Sligo Rovers performance. Even the harsh dismissal of Danny Ventre didn’t disrupt their focus, and they arrived on the banks of the Corrib eager to avoid defeat, it is precisely what they achieved.
And while Galway fashioned opportunities to claim the full complement manager Ian Foster provided an unprejudiced appraisal on the 90 minutes. “I will take a point because I think Sligo just wanted it a little bit more. They pressed us very well all over the pitch and we found it difficult at times.
“The conditions in the first half were shocking, we just couldn’t pass it. I’m happy with a point to be honest. At half time we said we’ve got the wind, we can pass the ball better and go and win the game, that was the objective. Decision-making was off, passing wasn’t quite crisp enough and we were pressed all over the park by a decent side.”
That was certainly true as Sligo, prompted by the midfield zest of Conor O’Grady, toiled diligently throughout. Nonetheless Galway offered glimpses of potential even when playing into the teeth of a strong wind early on.
Seven minutes in Cian McBrien threaded a thoughtful pass out wide to the pacy Shane Fitzgerald, who fizzed the ball across goal, but Gavin Peers, ever the capable defender, banged clear. Then Michael McGrath unleashed a long range effort to extract a save from Richard Brush, but Sligo survived the scare.
It was similarly tight and tense after the interval with Sean Kelly going close from another well worked set piece before referee Alan Kelly assumed centre stage. Ventre’s 68th minute dismissal for a tug on Vinny Faherty appeared harsh, and in stoppage time Galway replacement Declan Edwards was put off for a second caution when fouling Richie Ryan. Again Foster’s summation was reasonable. “I thought that Ventre’s a little bit unfortunate in my opinion to be sent off, as for Declan Edwards, if he’s dived he deserves a yellow card, the second one’s a bit petulant and I think the referee just wanted to even it up to be honest.
“I don’t want to have a go at referees, we all have off nights, I have mine, the players have had theirs, and I’m sure he’ll hold his hand up and say he’s had his because I thought at times his decision-making was a little bit off.”
In the dying embers Galway were restricted to long range shots, McBrien rifled a free narrowly wide, while substitute Dave Cooke also thumped a distance effort past the post as parity prevailed.
Galway United: Ryan; Conneely (Edwards, 71 ), Breen, Guthrie, Davoren; Fitzgerald (Synott, 53 ), McBrien, Kelly, McGrath (Cooke, 75 ), O’Brien; Faherty.
Sligo Rovers: Brush; Keane, Peers, Ventre, Holmes; Cash, O’Grady, Ryan, Morrisson (Torpey, 86 ); Doherty (McTiernan, 65 ), Parkhouse (Feeney, 65 ).
Referee: A Kelly (Cork ).
