Second half brace from Walsh seals win for Galway to keep European hopes alive

EUROPE HOPES STILL ALIVE: Jeanno Esua of Galway United, right, after his side's victory in the over Dundalk. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Dundalk 0 Galway United 2 (Stephen Walsh 53', 87')

Stephen Walsh’s second half brace – both back-post headers – ended Galway United’s away day blues and kept them in contention for European qualification.

John Caulfield’s promoted side are one of four teams deadlocked on 37 points after the defender-turned-striker punished a Dundalk side whose own objective is staying in the division.

Both of these teams were much-changed from their earlier meeting in the season -Galway also prevailing 2-0 in February – and while Dundalk included two Irish internationals in their ranks, the former Preston North End teammate of Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle was left on the Galway bench.

Caulfield swooped for another left-sided player in the summer window (as well as Greg Cunningham) and it was a sweet cross from Bobby Burns approaching the hour which led to the breakthrough.

Aodh Dervin had starred and scored in that previous victory yet here he was on the opposite side, lining up in the preferred central position he’s occupied since moving to Dundalk.

There were hometown anomalies in both sides - Galwegian Horgan featuring for Dundalk and Conor McCormack from Greenore harnessing the visitors’ midfield – but the teams required a result for contrasting reasons.

Galway’s need was connected to a charge for Europe damaged lately by defeats in their three previous games on the road. In this most open Premier Division for years, points away from home are precious to complement the fortress that Eamonn Deacy has developed into over the past season and a half.

A grim outlook for Dundalk was improved following their 4-1 defeat to Waterford in May, with wins over Shamrock and Sligo Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic and particularly Drogheda United helping to lift them off the summit.

They've still managed to stay off the bottom, despite this loss, but the two-point gap is a dangerous one with just 10 games remaining and side above them, St Patrick’s Athletic, holding a five-point buffer and a game in hand.

Not only managerial upheaval has been a factor in Dundalk’s struggles but their turnover of players, notably in goal.

Felix Goddard has been the latest custodian tasked with stemming the malaise but the League of Ireland affords no mercy to a 20-year-old rookie on loan from the goldfish bowl of the Championship.

Galway placed even more emphasis than usual on their set-piece deliveries, especially that lethal throw-in of Conor McCarthy, but when the chances finally came the young stopper wasn’t helped by the more experienced defenders in front of him.

Vincent Borden had him back-peddling with a dipping volley that veered just over early on while at the other Ryan O’Kane’s curler cleared the crossbar by a yard.

Jamie Gullan squirted his volley wide before John Mountney swivelled inside the box and smashed over but Galway still didn’t seem rattled.

Patience worked for the westerners as Walsh pounced on Mayowa Animasahun’s failure to deal with the Burns cross but Goddard should have done better to keep the header out.

Two minutes later, Walsh might have won a penalty under a challenge by the goalkeeper but Jimmy Keohane ought to have made it academic. Instead, he sent the loose ball grazing off the crossbar with the goal gaping.

It was academic in the end, for substitute Karl O’Sullivan squared for the unmarked Walsh to apply another textbook close-range header.

DUNDALK: F Goddard; J Mountney, M Animasahun, A Boyle, D Pike (S Keogh 88); A Dervin, R Benson (S McGill 75); D Horgan, J Hakiki (E Kenny 61), R O’Kane (S McGill 75); J Gullan (J O’Connor 75).

GALWAY UNITED: B Clarke; J Esua (C Horgan 80), G Buckley, K Brouder, R Burns; J Keohane (C O’Keeffe 83), C McCormack (K O’Sullivan 83), V Borden (D Hurley 65), C McCarthy (G Cunningham 80); P Hickey; S Walsh.

Referee: Paul Norton.