Galway United twice fight back to deny Cork City victory on return to Premier Division

DESMOND: Galway United's Vincent Borden heads towards goal. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo.

CORK CITY 2 (Malik Dijksteel 34, Greg Bolger 51)

GALWAY UNITED 2 (Patrick Hickey 45, Vincent Borden 80)

Tim Clancy had accused his counterpart John Caulfield of adopting covert KGB secrecy in the build-up to this season opener but it was his two Americans who denied Cork City victory.

Back in the top-flight, a crowd of 5,031 lapped up a breakthrough by Malik Dijksteel but Patrick Hickey brought the visitors level by the break.

While Greg Bolger’s first City goal since 2016 retook the lead early in the first half, the former City manager’s substitute Vincent Borden delivered by pinching a point with 10 minutes left.

There was still a chance for Seáni Maguire to grab a winner but his prolific instinct deserted him at the back post when he cushioned his header over rather than under the crossbar.

New season but it wasn’t much change for gallant Galway, as Caulfield included a single new signing, Moses Dyer, in his line-up whereas the team that succeeded them as First Division champions freshened up with four.

Newly-appointed captain Charlie Lyons availed of the successful pre-match coin-toss to shoot into The Shed and the home support almost got to savour a goal within 15 seconds.

Darragh Crowley’s crossfield pass exposed Galway’s back-three, allowing Dijksteel to dash clear on goal.

With only Brendan Clarke to beat, he chose to place rather than power the ball home only for his angled sidefooter to rebound off the butt of the post.

Galway United manager John Caulfield after the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Cork City and Galway United at Turner's Cross in Cork. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

City’s season may depend on how effective the strike partnership of Ruairi Keating and Maguire perform. They were lured back to the club during last summer’s window with this season’s step-up in mind and they tormented the defence of their former manager John Caulfield in the opening half hour.

Perhaps the soaked underfoot conditions from Thursday’s incessant downpour contributed to Keating blazing over the crossbar. However, he ought to have planted instead of glancing his close-range header after Maguire had rounded the advancing Brendan Clarke and crossed into the six-yard box.

It took until 11 minutes before the interval for territorial dominance to translate to the scoreboard and Clarke won’t recall it fondly.

Although he was proficient in punching away the corner, the stopper was too slow in diving to his right when Dijksteel cut in from the left to drill a low shot inside the post.

Bolger and his midfield companion, newcomer Rio Shipson, combined in the build-up but Clarke can also lay blame at defender Rob Slevin for backing off the flying Dutchman on his journey from left to centre.

Unlike a Caulfield side, Galway seemed vulnerable from set-pieces, one such lapse at a corner gifting Lyons a free header which he was unable to keep under the crossbar.

Yet, in keeping with the manager’s characteristics, they struck against the run of play with the last action of the first half. Hickey’s aerial advantage was telling in him towering above his marker to head Jeannot Esua’s hanging cross from the right in off the post.

Dutch goalkeeper Tein Troost has been relatively untested, still breeding confidence with some clean catches from crosses, but he wasn’t culpable for either concession.

Clarke was unsighted too for City’s second goal to retake the lead six minutes into the second half – Bolger popping up 20 yards out to find the bottom corner with his left foot through a thicket of bodies in the packed box.

Regaining the lead was admirable but failing to keep it for a second time was concerning for the season ahead.

It wasn’t as if Galway mounted a siege – David Hurley’s deflected free-kick and Bolger smothering a close-range opening for Moses Dyer – but their inability to clear the danger cost them again.

Caulfield’s first sub Borden was only 10 minutes on the field when he made it 2-2 and, similar to City’s second half goal, it originated from a corner.

When Bobby Burns recycled the loose ball into the box, it initially smacked the American in the face but it didn’t prevent him swivelling and hooking the ball into the corner.

An unbeaten start, at least, for the Rebels.

CORK CITY: T Troost; D Crowley, F Anderson, C Lyons, B Couto; G Bolger, R Shipson; C O’Sullivan (A Nolan 55), S Maguire, M Dijksteel (K Nelson 77); R Keating.

GALWAY UNITED: B Clarke; R Slevin, K Brouder, G Cunningham; J Esua J Keohane, D Hurley (V Borden 70), P Hickey, R Burns (R Donelon 82); M Dyer (M Wilson 82), S Walsh.

Referee: A O’Dowd (Dublin).

Attendance: 5031.