Galway United Top Cork in Relegation Six-Pointer
Stephen Walsh brace fires Galway to crucial win over Cork City
By Dylan Hudson
Cork City’s relegation from the SSE Airtricity Division looks all but confirmed following defeat to Galway United in Terryland.
The encounter was marked by a triumphant Stephen Walsh, who celebrated becoming Galway United’s joint record appearance holder with a first-half brace.
It was his side’s first victory in 12 league games, as they will now look to battle out of the relegation play-off place before the season’s end.
The Tribesmen were afforded the first chance with the inaugural corner of the game, a near-post header in the 5th minute from Walsh which failed to hit the target.
Jimmy Keohane would go 1 on 1 with the Cork City goalkeeper ten minutes later after Kaedyn Kamara misplaced a ball back to his goalkeeper, but the attempt was easily saved.
In the 17th minute Walsh started his celebrations, bundling the ball into the back of Conor Brann’s net after the goalkeeper failed to claim a free kick floated into the Cork City box.
Minutes before the half, Cork’s Alex Nolan produced the spectacular, skilfully evading the retreating Galway defence and rifling in a shot from 25 yards out.
However, in added time, Walsh once again put his side in front, nodding in from an excellently placed Dara McGuinness cross.
A few minutes into the 2nd half, Walsh would come close to completing a hat-trick of headers, meeting Killian Brouder’s deep cross but finding the wrong side of the goal.
The Rebels would start to gather momentum after the 66th minute when Sean Maguire attempted to capitalise on some sloppy United defending, but his effort was too high.
Maguire then looked to sink the hearts of the United faithful in the 85th minute, but his goal was adjudicated to be offside to the relief of John Caulfield’s side.
Full Time: Galway United 2 – Cork City 1
Galway United: Watts, Esua, Buckley, Brouder, Burns, Slevin, Bolger (McCarthy 66’), Keohane, Hickey, McGuinness (Sivi 87’), Walsh (Horgan 92’).
Cork City: Brann, Crowley, Anderson, Kelleher (Couto 62’), Feely, Kiernan (Lee 86’), Nolan, McLaughlin, Kamara (Nelson 54’), Fitzpatrick (Lyons 86’), Maguire.
