If Derry City are to ultimately reflect with satisfaction on 2025, a wet night in Galway may be seen as when the narrative changed, as they won 3-2 at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Though Cian Byrne's dismissal left Galway with an enormous challenge, they were already second best.
Derry looked the better side, with Robbie Benson having the Candstripes back in front just before Byrne's red, Patrick Hickey having equalised for Galway minutes before the interval after an early Danny Mullen strike had the visitors ahead.
Gavin Whyte sealed the win in injury time, United stretched, with Vincent Borden getting a consolation with the game's last kick. But this was a game more in keeping with pre-season expectations, with an expensively assembled Derry finally putting much or it all together.
Derry boss Tiernan Lynch extolled how well-organised Galway were pre-game but they were given a wake-up jolt here, as they could not cope with Michael Duffy and they can reflect on tonight as to improvements they must make.
Derry should at worst be targeting the top four and that looks far more realistic now, though what would have happened had Byrne not seen a second yellow we will never know.
Hickey showed his strength on seven minutes by readily brushing Mark Connolly aside, but his cross was eventually cleared.
Hickey then met Rob Slevin's punt, it found Moses Dyer who found Bobby Burns, who drove his shot wide.
Derry showed an ability to keep the ball stylishly and ask questions of United; lovely play on 15 minutes resulted in Benson, growing in influence, forcing a block from Greg Cunningham.
Galway could not clear from the corner and, after Duffy was given too much room, his effort was merely parried by Watts with the awaiting Mullen making no mistake 16 minutes in.
Mullen played Duffy in and, with so much space, he probably should have doubled Derry's advantage with pretty much the next attack, only for skipper Cunningham to make a last-gasp block, as United were reeling.
Byrne took a yellow for a professional foul on Whyte on 20 minutes that was far from ideal and indicated a vulnerability from United rarely seen this season.
United's classy three centre-backs all combined for their best chance 12 minutes shy of the break.
Killian Brouder played back to Slevin whose cross was met with a fine Cunningham header and excellent Brian Maher save.
Galway's equaliser was so avoidable from a Derry viewpoint.
Just three minutes to the interval remained and Slevin punted into the box from his own half, it made it all the way nearly to the six-yard box without a Derry touch and Hickey hooked home.
Given the relentless rain in Galway on Friday, it was testament to ground staff that the pitch held off waterlogging.
Benson will never trump Warsaw - a European goal for former club Dundalk - for bangers with his right foot but he will be proud of the goal that edged Derry back in front, giving Watts no hope, after excellent trickery from Dom Thomas on 47 minutes.
Whyte then had too much pace for Jimmy Keohane and he dinked a beautiful ball to put Duffy racing towards goal, with Watts' save keeping Galway alive.
United were now heavily up against it and Derry started to show the quality they posses in their squad, with John Caulfield making two changes to attempt to fight the tide on a horrible night for football with 16 minutes left.
United continued to throw everything at it, with Vincent Borden forcing two snap-shots deep in injury time, but there was still time for the killer third for City.
Galway were exposed going all out to score and Derry broke three versus one, with substitute Paul McMullan coolly putting Whyte through and he dispatched into the corner.
Borden headed home to make it 3-2, illustrating United's remarkable character, but Derry had already done enough.
Galway United: Evan Watts; Robert Slevin (Sean Kerrigan 84), Killian Brouder, Greg Cunningham; Jeannot Esua, Cian Byrne, Jimmy Keohane (Cillian Tollett 84), Vincent Borden, Bobby Burns (David Hurley 74); Patrick Hickey, Moses Dyer (Stephen Walsh 75)
Derry City: Brian Maher; Ronan Boyce (Hayden Cann 76), Sam Todd; Carl Winchester, Dom Thomas (Paul McMullan 85), Robbie Benson; Danny Mullen (Sean Patton 68), Gavin Whyte, Michael Duffy
Referee: Declan Toland
