Galway edge superb tie on penalties

Galway Utd are through to the semi-final of the EA Sports Cup after a superb 120 minutes of football and victory in a penalty shoot-out at sun drenched Sligo Showgrounds.

EA Sports Cup

Sligo Rovers 2 Galway Utd 2

(Galway won 3-1 on penalties)

The visitors set up the first chance of the tie when Gary Kinneen broke clear down the left wing but his effort drifted wide.

Connor Melody went close for Galway after 14 minutes but his well directed ball was gathered by the Sligo keeper.

Rovers’ Raffaele Cretaro was unable to finish off a cross on 18 minutes and Liam Martin had an effort saved by Utd keeper Ciaran Nugent five minutes before half time.

Sligo had the first chance of the second half, but Ciaran Sadlier’s effort in the opening minute was cleared. Jonah Ayunga blazed a shot wide in the 66th minute but Galway improved as the half progressed.

The Galway keeper denied Sadlier with a brilliant block a minute into the first half of extra time.

Substitute Matty Stevens put Sligo ahead two minutes later but the Tribesmen were level a minute later when another sub, Ronan Murray, rifled a superb shot to the back of the net net.

And yet another sub, Galway’s Gavin Holohan, put the visitors in front in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of the first period of extra time, but Sligo refused to go away with Sadlier scoring from the penalty spot three minutes from the end to send the game to penalties.

SLIGO ROVERS: Shlingermann, Adebayo, Rowling, Donelon, Leahy, Callan, McFadden, Martin, Russell, Boylan, Sadlier, Cretaro, Ayunga.

Subs: Stevens for Cretaro 75, Roddan for Russell 93, Doyle for Donelon 105.

GALWAY UNITED: Nugent, Horgan, Byrne, Kinneen, Folan, Conway, M Nugent, Cunningham, Sinnott, Melody, Deevers.

Subs: Devanney for Kinneen 52, Murray for Deevers 73, Holohan for Sinott 98.

Referee: Rob Roger