FAI CUP FIRST ROUND
BARRY’S BRACE DOES TRICK
Boost for Galway United in ending long run without a competitive victory
COLLINSTOWN FC…………………1
GALWAY UNITED……………………2
DAIRE WALSH
IN WHITEHALL
GALWAY United manager Alan Murphy was a relieved man as his side recovered from a difficult start to overcome the challenge of Collinstown FC in this FAI Cup first round clash at Whitehall on Sunday.
After falling behind to an early Jamie Ahern goal, United responded with a quick-fire brace courtesy of Conor Barry. While their Leinster Senior League counterparts remained in the reckoning, the visitors did enough to get over the line in the end.
“We made it hard at the start, to be honest. Poor goal again. Reaction to the goal, though, was good I thought. We didn’t drop our heads. I thought in the first half we found it a little bit difficult to break them down at times. We forced it a bit and they sat off. They wanted to try and catch us on the counter. Looked like they could at times,” Murphy remarked afterwards.
“Second half we moved the ball quicker with a little bit more intensity. This is no disrespect, we didn’t go to their level. I thought we passed it a little bit sharper and a bit better. We cut them open at times. The finishing touch wasn’t there and they stayed in the game.”
Following a difficult campaign to date in the First Division, United will be hoping for an extended run in this competition – which they previously won in the 1990-91 season. They suffered an early set-back in their quest for a second round spot, however, as Ahern fired past Kevin Horgan for an 11th-minute deadlock breaker.
This ramped up the pressure on the Tribesmen, but their response was immediate and emphatic. Straight from the kick-off, they forced Collinstown on the back-foot.
Maurice Nugent crept inside the penalty area and set-up Barry for a composed finish beyond the reach of the isolated Declan Woods. Thanks to Nugent’s effective link play in midfield with Joe Collins, Barry was given the freedom to roam forward into the final-third.
Collinstown found it difficult to deal with his probing runs and they paid the price on the stroke of 15 minutes. Via an enticing Conor Melody cross on the right-flank, Barry unleashed a powerful strike to the bottom corner of the opposition net.
United were expected to push on for the remainder of the half and Nugent lashed just over at the end of a prolonged move. Having enjoyed a dream start to the action at Home Farm FC (on Dublin’s northside), Collinstown were now struggling to impose themselves on the play.
And the hosts breathed a sigh of relief when Barry was denied by the woodwork in the 35th-minute. The experienced Vinny Faherty was deployed as a lone front man in the United attack and he proved to be a useful outlet for Barry and recent recruit Stephen Christopher.
The latter almost broke free in the closing stages of the half, only to be closed out by Collinstown full-back Ian McNeill. Despite being one goal to the good at the break, United realised their Metropolitan opponents weren’t out of sight just yet.
Daniel Matthews produced a save out of Horgan on the resumption, before Collins twice went close to grabbing a third for Galway. Christopher was making his first start in a United shirt and almost announced his arrival in spectacular fashion on 52 minutes.
The former Cobh Ramblers prodigy unleashed a long-distance piledriver and was desperately unfortunate to see his effort rebounding off the underside of the crossbar. Much to the relief of Collinstown, it eventually drifted away to safety.
Instead of potentially placing the outcome beyond their reach, Collinstown recognised they were still in with a chance of swinging the tie back in their favour. Nevertheless, it was United who continued to conjure the majority of the chances.
Chris Horgan raided to telling effect on the right-wing and his final cross to Flaherty was only just cut out by a last-gasp Luke Fitzpatrick intervention. Prior to his withdrawal inside the final-quarter, Barry had another opportunity to claim a hat-trick off a Melody delivery.
He was ultimately off-target, though, and Collinstown persisted with their challenge as the final whistle approached. Teenage substitutes Colin Kelly and Dara Costelloe provided Galway with considerable spark in the closing moments, with Kelly having a goal disallowed for offside.
While Collinstown did launch some balls into the box late on – in search of a goal that would bring the game into extra-time – Galway held out for their first competitive win since May 17.
COLLINSTOWN FC: Declan Woods; Ian McNeill, Luke Fitzpatrick, Dean Carpenter, Dylan Nolan; Oscar Sibanda (Nathan Doyle 82), Daniel Matthews; Paul McMahon, Sonny Conway (Kian Delaney 57), Stephen Grogan; Jamie Ahern.
GALWAY UNITED: Kevin Horgan; Chris Horgan, Jack Lynch (Donal Higgins 59), Killian Brouder, Stephen Walsh; Maurice Nugent, Joe Collins; Conor Melody, Conor Barry (Colin Kelly 74), Stephen Christopher; Vinny Faherty (Dara Costelloe 68).
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).