Galway United will be playing in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division next season after their 1-1 draw against Waterford FC condemned the Blues to the dreaded promotion/relegation playoff where they will face either Bray Wanderers or Treaty United following their pulsating clash in front of 3,211 fans at the RSC.
After a tentative opening with the visitors shading possession, the big breakthrough came for John Caulfield’s side on 16 minutes. Aaron Bolger played a quick free to David Hurley, who sent in a dangerous right-wing cross to the centre for Stephen Walsh, who found the corner with a neat header.
Waterford keeper Stephen McMullan produced a top save four minutes later to keep his side in the tie when Jeannot Esua whipped over a right-wing cross that broke to Robert Burns just inside the penalty area, but his stinging left-footed strike was well kept out.
The home side had their first opportunity on 29 minutes when clever-thinking from Conan Noonan saw hm pick out Tommy Lonergan, who got behind the Galway defence on the right, but his angled effort was saved by the feet of keeper Brendan Clarke.
It was the crossbar that denied the visitors a second goal three minutes later when Patrick Hickey’s goalbound effort was blocked into the path of goalscorer Walsh, but his close-range left-footed strike struck the underside of the woodwork with McMullan beaten.
Pádraig Amond played a captain's part to bring the Blues level on 38 minutes when the centre forward peeled to the back post to meet a cracking left-wing delivery from Conon Noonan before planting a header past Clarke for his 14th goal of the campaign.
The Blues introduced Dean McMenamy at the half-time break in place of Sam Glenfield, and the midfielder went close with a decent effort on 57 minutes when he took a pass from James Olayinka, but his effort from the top of the penalty area sailed inches over the bar.
A chance fell at the feet of McMenamy with 75 minutes on the clock as he broke onto a Kyle White left-wing cross on the top of the penalty area, but he sent a right-footed shot over Brendan Clarke’s crossbar before the same player was just over once again nine minutes from time.
As the home side pressed for a winning goal, Noonan sent over a left-wing cross five minutes from time that picked out Tommy Lonergan, but he couldn’t direct his header on target before Aaron Bolger was off target from the counter-attack a minute later.
Muhammadu Faal nearly proved to be the Waterford hero deep in added time when he got on the end of a Tommy Lonergan cross, but his header was deflected over the bar for a corner that saw referee award a free out when it seemed as if Grant Horton was pulled down at the back post.
Waterford FC: McMullan; Radkowski (Smith 62), Leahy, Burke; Horton, Olayinka, Glenfield (McMenamy 46), Noonan, Whyte (Faal 81); Lonergan, Amond.
Galway United: Clarke; Esua, Brouder, Bolger (Horgan 90), Buckley, Burns; Keohane (Piesold 78), Hurley (Slevin 69),McCarthy (McCormack 69), Hickey, Walsh.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).
Attendance: 3,211
