Christy Fagan winner keeps St Pat’s on track in European race

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Galway United 0

This looked more like mid-table fare but Liam Buckley’s side kept their hopes of qualifying for Europe alive with a win that keeps the teams immediately above them within reach.

Christy Fagan got the goal that decided the game, his 10th of the campaign in all competitions; still, having taken the lead with scarcely three minutes played, Liam Buckley’s men proved incapable of pressing on and the locals fans endured an anxious evening as the visitors went in search of an equaliser.

Ultimately, Galway United’s mood on their way home last night could not have been good, for after beating the title holders last week, they were went down tamely here. That, though, has been the story of their season.

Dramatic

They followed their dramatic victory here on the opening night of the season with a defeat of Bray, but Tommy Dunne’s side hasn’t garnered back-to-back wins in the league since and there were long spells in this when it wasn’t all that hard to see why.

They are certainly capable of some decent football and there were entertaining passages of play here as both sides sought to move the ball with a bit of purpose through midfield.

Neither side seemed able to deliver much end product, though, with the home side passing up a string of half chances, while their opponents generally struggled early on to create any.

Things had looked bright for the locals after they got their noses in front in the opening minutes through Fagan, but he never should have had the chance.

The Dubliner had to have a second go at controlling a pass from the lively Stephen Kinsella on the edge of the area but was allowed all the time in the world by Armin Aganovic, who was duly made to pay for his lack of urgency as the striker teed up his shot before sending it low beyond Conor Winn to the bottom far corner.

They might have had another couple with Conan Byrne and Jamie McGrath going close over the first 40 minutes but the finishing was less than clinical and they continued to leave the door open to a Galway side that had trailed to a Fagan goal back in March only to score three times in the game’s final 10 minutes.

This time out, Dunne’s men started to get themselves on the front foot a little earlier with Ryan Connolly, Kevin Devaney and Vinny Faherty beginning to suggest some sort of threat towards the end of the first half but it took a while into the second before Brendan Clarke had to make a save of real note, with the goalkeeper having to get across well to prevent a Paul Sinnott shot levelling up the scores.

Somehow, though, both sides seemed to lack the conviction required to take control.

Dunne threw on Enda Curran and shifted bodies about in an effort to pose more of a threat up front but even then the pressure his side exerted was only sporadic and the Dubliners’ central defence coped well when the visitors looked to run through the centre at them.

Teaser

Galway had fared better when getting the ball out wide where Gary Shanahan and Stephen Walsh were able to produce the occasional teaser, but St Patrick’s held on comfortably enough and go level on points with Galway, although both sides will know that much better will be required if they are to deliver on their dream of playing European football next season.