Edwards steals points for Galway

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION:Drogheda United 0 Galway Utd 1

A SMASH and grab mission saw the men from the West get back to winning ways and take all three points from a contest they barely deserved to draw. If this one were a boxing contest it would have been stopped long before the Tribesmen struck for the winner 10 minutes from the end of a contest in which they played second fiddle throughout.

Drogheda were on top for the entire first half but in their first sortie up the park Galway were denied the opening goal by the woodwork. Jay O’Shea slipped a lovely ball in behind the defence on the left for Derek O’Brien, whose first-time cross picked out the inrushing Vinny Faherty who rattled the ball off the bar.

Almost immediately play swung to the other end where David O’Connor’s delivery was met by Paul Crowley who flashed his header across the face of goal.

Drogheda continued to dominate early on in the second half as James Chambers sent Jamie Duffy racing clear but he drove wide.

Eleven minutes from time Drogheda were caught with the classic sucker punch when Derek O’Brien’s cross was headed into the ground, off the underside of the crossbar and into the net by substitute Derek Edwards to give Galway the lead totally against the run of play.

DROGHEDA UTD:Williams, Chambers, Clarke, Kenna, Ryan, Shiels, O'Connor (Salmon, 61 mins), Crowley, Duffy, Duggan, Whelan.

GALWAY UTD: Ryan, Cooke, Breen, Guthrie, O'Shea, Faherty, O'Brien, Kelly, McBrien (Murphy, 74 mins), McGrath (Edwards 58), Davoren (Sinnott, 53 mins).

Referee:R Crangle (Belfast)