Clinical Galway United shock St Patrick’s Athletic

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Galway United 3

Christy Fagan had put Pat’s ahead on 47 minutes before former Pat’s man Vinny Faherty equalised on 58 minutes.

John Sullivan put Galway ahead on 83 minutes before Enda Curran sealed the win in the second minute of added time.

The Inchicore side gave first competitive starts to several close season arrivals, including the Dennehy brothers, Billy and Darren, most recently of Cork City.

They started well and it was Billy who had their first chance, on six minutes, with a blistering low free kick from 25 yards out that flashed inches wide of Conor Winn’s right hand upright.

Indeed, with Galway looking strong in the middle it was along the wings that Pat’s were most creative with Billy Dennehy putting in a good shift from the off.

Two other new faces, David Cawley and Graham Kelly, combined in the middle on 18 minutes with Cawley teeing up Kelly for a crack at goal from outside the box but Kelly’s effort floated over the top.

Galway didn’t have as many chances but held their own as the half progressed, though they were forced into making a change a minute before the break.

Ruairi Keating took a knock and was assessed on the pitch by the St Pat’s doctor, Matt Corcoran, before leaving the pitch slightly dazed. He was replaced by Curran.

Pat’s came out in formidable form at the start of the second half and took a deserved lead on 47 minutes when Fagan got on the end of Billy Dennehy’s cracking cross to head past Winn.

Conan Byrne had a chance to double the lead on 56 minutes when he got on the end of a great through ball from Fagan but was hustled away by two defenders with Winn racing out to collect.

Finding themselves a goal down and under serious pressure, Galway did well to push forward and got themselves level on 58 minutes.

Faherty was given too much time and space on the goal line to skip past some lacklustre defending before sweeping the ball past Brendan Clarke and into the back of the net.

Galway were enjoying a new lease of life and tried their luck at every opportunity.

The pick of the efforts during this period came on 67 minutes when John Sullivan hooked a wonderful strike on target which drew a good save from Clarke.

The home support in the crowd of 1,626 had fallen silent by now with the visiting fans, numbering no more than 100, making most of the noise with a chant that Richmond Park was ‘just like a library’.

And the volume went up to full blast from those travelling fans when Galway took the lead on 83 minutes.

Sullivan was first to Ryan Connolly’s free kick and given a free header, made no mistake with a sweet finish past Clarke.

Curran made sure of the win in the second minute of added time with a curling right-footed drive which coasted over the diving Clarke and into the far corner.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Clarke; O’Brien, Hoare, D Dennehy, Bermingham; Cawley: Byrne, Kelly (Timlin 71 mins), McEleney, B Dennehy; Fagan (Corcoran 80 mins).

Galway United: Winn; Horgan, Sinnott, Folan, Walsh; Shanahan (Melody 77 mins), Sullivan, Connolly, Devaney (Cantwell 85 mins); Faherty, Keating (Curran 45 mins).

Referee: Robert Harvey.