Galway United 3-0 Bray Wanderers
Tuesday, 1 July 2008Galway United's precarious position was given a slight boost as they recorded a rare home victory to advance to the semi-final stage of the Eircom League Cup in Terryland Park tonight.
Galway's long-serving winger Derek O'Brien shone brightly in the first half.
His first contribution was in rocketing a header home on 15 minutes only to be harshly judged offside. Yet the wrong was righted 60 seconds later as Galway went one up.
O'Brien picked up possession wide and ran at full-back Ronan Ivory with gusto. The defender lost his nerve and hauled the crafty Kerryman down inside the box.
O'Brien then stepped up an dispatched the resulting penalty with panache.
Oozing in confidence, United's left winger doubled the advantage inside five minutes. Mercilessly exposing his counterpart again, he reached the byline just right of the visiting goal. His vicious blast hit the underside of the crossbar and squeezed in over the line, completing a spectacular spell for the home side.
Had either of the Galway duo Jay O'Shea and John Lester converted their respective chances before the break, the contest could have been sealed.
Bray came more into the game in the second, enjoying better territory and possession. However a hard working and resolute home side handled the threat comfortably, while looking capable on the break. John Russell, John Lester and Mark Leech all gave Alan Gough plenty to think about.
Jay O'Shea wrapped up the the win with an injury time tap-in to give the struggling United a boost and much needed respite from the drudgery of life at the bottom on the .
Galway United: Rouse, Keane, Lester, Fitzgerald, Nootimer, O'Shea, Deegan (Fenn, 84), Russell, O'Brien, Leech (Molloy, 86), Faherty (Glynn, 71).
Bray Wanderers: Gough, Ivory (Cronin, 59, Myler, 76), Foran, Doherty, Pender, Kavanagh, Whelan, Kenny, Cawley, McCabe (Onwubiko, 46), Rowe.
Referee: M Gough (Limerick)
