Sligo Rovers 2-0 Galway United
Friday, 9 October 2009 22:34Raffaele Cretaro was Sligo's hero once again as his third goal in two games helped them to a vital three points against Galway United at the Showgrounds.
Cretaro struck the crucial opener against his former club after 37 minutes of a half that his side completely dominated.
He latched onto a sublime pass from Eoin Doyle on the left-hand side and fired under Barry Ryan.
And winger Dean Marshall neatly side-footed home from Cretaro's cross for the clinching second goal just five minutes after his introduction.
Rovers went into the game without the injured Richard Brush and Owen Morrison, while Romuald Boco was on international duty. It mattered little as they took charge in the opening period.
Doyle, Brian Cash and Conor O'Grady all had chances before Ryan denied Cretaro with a fine stop on the half-hour.
But the netminder could do little to stop Cretaro's calm finish from hitting the net just seven minutes later.
Galway, without Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Seamus Conneely, briefly threatened with a Derek O'Brien stinger that Ciaran Kelly needed to get behind.
The second half started in a similar vein to the first, with Ryan forced into making excellent stops to deny certain goals from Doyle and Richie Ryan in the third quarter.
O'Brien did flash a header narrowly the wrong side of the post from an Alan Murphy corner, but the home side remained the more dangerous.
Nevertheless, a one-goal lead always left the Galway men with hope, and Murphy gave Rovers fans a moment of anxiety when his free-kick just narrowly missed the target.
But substitute Marshall secured the win with four minutes left.
Sligo Rovers: 1 Ciaran Kelly; 2 Danny Ventre, 4 Gavin Peers, 5 Alan Keane, 3 Joe Kendrick; 7 Brian Cash, 6 Conor O'Grady, 8 Richie Ryan (15 Darren Meenan 78), 11 Eoin Doyle (13 Dean Marshall 81); 9 Matthew Blinkhorn, 10 Raffaele Cretaro (12 Rob Turner 88).
Subs not used: 17 Michael Schlingermann, 14 Martin Camano.
Galway United: 1 Barry Ryan; 15 Paul Sinnott, 5 Garry Breen, 6 Shane Guthrie, 3 Mark O'Toole; 16 Sean Kelly (14 Shane Fitzgerald 68), 8 John Russell, 10 Alan Murphy, 11 Derek O'Brien, 19 Aaron Greene (20 Jason Molloy 77); 9 Vinny Faherty.
Subs not used: 18 John Sangi, 17 Cian McBrien, 22 Ger Hanley.
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
