Youngster Aaron Greene all but ended Shamrock Rovers’ title ambitions with an equalising goal in a terrific League of Ireland encounter at Tallaght Stadium.
Gary Twigg’s header on 43 minutes put Rovers ahead and looked to have set up a grandstand finish to the title race in seven days’ time.
But Greene capped off a super second half Galway performance with a fantastic individual goal on 69 minutes, before teammate Gary Breen was sent off late on.
Rovers bossed the early play and Dessie Baker could have put them ahead on five minutes, but sent his shot straight at Galway goalkeeper Barry Ryan.
Rovers threatened again on 11 when Ollie Cahill’s dangerous ball came into the area, but the visitors’ defence cut out the danger before the onrushing Stephen Rice could connect.
The atmosphere was subdued around the ground as word filtered through that Bohemians were already two up against Sligo Rovers.
Ryan easily saved Sean O’Connor’s effort on 15 minutes, which took a deflection off Shane Guthrie, and made light work of Gary Twigg’s header on 20.
Ryan was called into action again on 26 when he denied O’Connor. The rebound took a number of touches in the area before Ryan again saved from Twigg’s flick.
The mood among Rovers fans dipped further when in emerged that Bohs had scored a third, but hope was restored somewhat when Stephen Bradley’s ball from the wing was met by Twigg’s powerful header to put the home side ahead just before the break.
The second period began with chants of ‘We love you Sligo’ from the Rovers support when the Westerners got a goal back on the other side of the city.
Twigg nearly made it two but his delicate chip was covered by Ryan on 67.
Another goal did come soon after but it went to Galway as Greene collected the ball on the right of the area and turned the home defence inside out before blasting home past Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus at his near post.
Galway then had Gary Breen sent off for a second yellow card on 77 minutes but they held on and withstood a fantastic final few minutes from Rovers which ensures that, barring an extremely unlikely series of results next Friday, the league title is staying at Dalymount.
Shamrock Rovers: 23 Alan Mannus; 19 Pat Sullivan, 5 Aidan Price, 6 Craig Sives, 8 Stephen Rice, 14 Ollie Cahill; 10 Stephen Bradley, 7 Shane Robinson, 11 Sean O’Connor (13 Paddy Kavanagh 58 mins); 9 Gary Twigg (21 Padraig Amond 77 mins), 18 Dessie Baker (22 Graham Barrett 58 mins).
Unused subs: 1 Barry Murphy, 17 Ross Chisholm.
Booked: Robinson 90 mins.
Galway United: 1 Barry Ryan; 2 Seamus Conneely, 5 Gary Breen, 6 Shane Guthrie, 15 Paul Sinnott; 11 Derek O’Brien (20 Jason Molloy 90 mins), 16 Sean Kelly; 4 David Cooke, 17 Cian McBrien (10 Alan Murphy 56 mins); 19 Aaron Greene, 9 Vinny Faherty. Unused subs: 14 Shane Fitzgerald, 18 John Sangi, 22 Ger Hanley. Booked: Breen 44 mins.
Sent off: Breen 77.
Referee: D McKeown.
