Bobby Burns late leveller sees Galway United hold Shelbourne
Robert Burns of Galway United celebrates with team-mate Regan Donelon. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
Shelbourne let two points slip in Galway, relinquishing a lead late on after dominating vast swathes of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park.
Mipo Odubeko had them ahead early. He turned in a brilliant performance in open play, but left a plethora of chances behind him. After a mishap at the back, where Conor Kearns spilled a cross, Shels paid the price.
Harry Wood weaved his magic in the first half, operating in more space than he would have expected. However, it was JJ Lunney who orchestrated the opener.
The midfielder drove at a back-pedalling Galway defence. His shot was blocked but came back to him. He showed poise to pick out Mipo Odubeko at the back post, who made no mistake from five yards.
It could have been his second as earlier, Sean Boyd played him through. The striker showed his lightning pace to pass Evan Watts, but his shot was heroically denied by a desperate lunge by Garry Buckley.
After being outplayed for the first half an hour, the home side did muster a response. Malcolm Shaw brought saves from Conor Kearns twice. Ed McCarthy was close with a rebound while Rob Slevin was off target with a free header.
Despite the uptick, John Caulfield saw fit to change the shape at half-time. It showed bravery for Buckley and Slevin to line up against Boyd and Odubeko.
The latter was a handful throughout. He had three big chances in the third quarter, as well as a couple of dangerous efforts from distance.
He ought to have done better when turned loose by the trickery of Wood from a set-piece but blasted over. He also had a free header graze the crossbar after a wonderful cross.
Shels were comfortable and even rotated their team half-way through the second, resting the high-performing Wood and Norris, who had caught the eye at wing-back.
The chances continued to come for Odubeko, but they were of a lower quality as he shot on sight and failed to trouble Watts.
The shot counter, possession and territory suggested that Shels should have been out of sight. However, a weak moment from Conor Kearns, who spilled a Jeannot Esua cross that landed at the feet of Bobby Burns, who gleefully poked home.
Boyd had a chance to restore the lead late on but was just wide on a night that would have encouraged and disappointed the Drumcondra side in equal measure.
Watts; Esua, Buckley, Brouder (Borden 45), Slevin, Cunningham (Burns 57); Hurley (Donelon 81), Byrne, McCarthy (McCormack 81, Horgan 90); Walsh, Shaw (Tollett 72).
Kearns; Kelly (Caffrey 62), Gannon, Temple, Ledwidge, Norris (Wilson 62); Wood (McInroy 62), Lunney (Coyle 75), Chapman (Coote 89); Boyd, Odubeko.
K O’ Sullivan.
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