Galway set up play-off with UCD

Shelbourne 1 Galway FC 2(Galway FC win 4-1 on agg)

First Division play-off: Galway FC will face UCD in the two-leg promotion/relegation final next week after completing a 4-1 aggregate win over Shelbourne in the First Division play-off in Tolka Park last night.

Tommy Dunne’s side went into last night’s game with a two-goal advantage from Eamonn Deacy Park, and while they fell behind in the first-half to a Conor Murphy header, they were the better side in the second half and sealed the deal with goals from Ryan Connolly and Jake Keegan.

Shelbourne got back into the tie in the 31st minute when Gary Dempsey whipped in a corner from the right, and Conor Murphy lost his marker to head home from six yards. Galway restored their two-goal advantage on the hour mark, Connolly finishing off a wonderful flowing move with a bullet strike from the edge of the box.

Keegan got the insurance goal in the 85th minute, and the home side finished with 10 men when Conor Murphy was sent off in injury time.

SHELBOURNE FC (3-4-1-2): N Murphy; O’Connor, Sullivan, Desmond; Gallagher, Dempsey, Robinson (Hand 65), Russell (Coughlan 74); Keegan; C Murphy, Connolly.

GALWAY FC (4-2-3-1): Gleeson; Horgan, Barrett, Walsh, Ludden; Sinnott, Byrne (Faherty 80); Shanahan, Connolly, Manning (Molloy 89); Keegan (Cunningham 89).

Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin).