JIMMY KEOHANE inflicted the latest blow on Shelbourne as the Reds continue to stutter and saw their lead at the top of the table trimmed to three points. Keohane’s goal in just the second minute earned Galway United their second win over the side at the summit this term and strengthened their own challenge to earn a European place as their first season back in the top tier heads towards a climactic end. John Caulfield’s men are up to fourth.
Damien Duff’s side are now just three clear of Derry City , who failed to fully capitalise as they drew at home to Shamrock Rovers . Galway played to their strengths early on, putting the visitors under pressure with a high-tempo game, but it was a route-one move that had them almost instantly ahead. Goalkeeper Brendan Clarke booted a back-pass long, Patrick Hickey flicked on a header, Stephen Walsh held it up and laid it off and Keohane came in off his wing, opened up his body and bent a beauty to the far corner of the net.
Keohane was involved five minutes later as Galway nearly scored again. He received an Ed McCarthy back-heel on the edge of the box and returned it to the Limerick man, who hit the bar. After some further mini-scares, Shels eventually settled and John Martin came close to equalising with a header from a corner.
Aiden O’Brien and Rayhaan Tulloch also threatened but Galway remained a strong attacking force and Hickey and McCarthy both drew good saves from Conor Kearns. Half-time came and went with the score at 1-0 but the chances kept coming in the second period. Again, Keohane was in the thick of it.
He should have done better with a free header in the 52nd minute after a clever corner to the back post. Shels had won just one of their previous six games before this and looked to respond to the need to up things as the half wore on. Mark Coyle went close after some precise passing at the edge of the box.
But the best chance of the half fell to Galway’s Walsh after Keohane found him with a cross from the right. The striker’s shot was wayward. Duff was on the pitch at one point after a Liam Burt tackle and earned a booking from referee Kevin O’Sullivan for his troubles.
Clarke saved a free from Evan Caffrey before Kearns came up for a late corner but Hickey cleared and three more points had slipped away from Shels. SUN STAR MAN Jimmy Keohane (Galway United) GALWAY UNITE D: Clarke 8; Horgan 7 (Slevin 81, 5), Buckley 7, Brouder 7, Cunningham 8; Keohane 8, Borden 7 (Hurley 69, 6), McCormack 7, Hickey 8, McCarthy 7 (Burns 69, 7); Walsh 7. SHELBOURNE : Kearns 7; Gannon 7, Griffin 6 (Ledwidge 59, 6), Barrett 6, Wilson 7 (Smith 77, 6); Coote 7 (Burt 66, 7), Caffrey 7, Coyle 7 (Wood 59, 6), Tulloch 8; Martin 7, O’Brien 6 (Boyd 66, 6).
REFEREE : K O’ Sullivan 8..
