Padraic Cunningham fires hat-trick as Galway United progress

Galway United 3 Mayo League 1: Padraic Cunningham marked his first start of the season for Galway United with a 13-minute first-half hat-trick as last year’s beaten finalists eased their way into the next round of the EA Sports Cup.

Cunningham opened his account after just three minutes, skipping past the Mayo League’s player/manager, league legend Joseph Ndo, before firing a 20-yard shot past Mayo keeper Mark Duffy. He added a second in the 14th minute, bundling home an Eric Foley corner from the right; and claimed the match-ball two minutes later when firing home from a Conor Melody cross.

It was largely one-way traffic, but United were unable to add to their tally.

Instead it was the Mayo League who got a little reward for a gutsy, if somewhat limited, performance with the only other goal of the game.

Conor Byrne drove at the United defence on the our mark before threading a ball through for half-time substitute JP O’Gorman, and he slotted home from 10 yards.

GALWAY UNITED:

Horgan; Raftery, Sinnott (Murphy h-t), Walsh, Ludden; Devers (A Connolly 75), Cantwell, Foley, Melody; Cunningham, Keating.

MAYO LEAGUE:

Duffy; Loughran (Ryan h-t), McGlade, Kelly; Morrissey, Ndo, Byrne, McDonnell (O’Gorman h-t), Broderick; Concannon, Fitzgerald (Gallagher 78).

Referee:

Padraig Sutton (Clare).