LEAGUE OF IRELAND Sligo Rovers 1 Galway United 1: JEFF KENNA was relieved Galway United "got out of jail" in this gripping north west derby at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.
A 75th-minute goal from the penalty spot salvaged a precious point for the relegation-threatened Tribesmen.
Under-23 international James O'Shea tucked away the spot-kick after Danny Ventre took substitute Derek Glynn down in an untidy scramble in the box.
Rovers went in front on 52 minutes when Rafaele Cretaro lost his markers before unleashing a piledriver that flew past Gary Rogers.
Kenna said his side, who have a game in hand, had to be "positive" and get more points on the board starting against St Patrick's Athletic tomorrow night.
Paul Cooke was delighted afterwards. "The game was very competitive and a draw was a fair result. We're trying our best for the fans and we could yet end up with something special." Cooke praised goalscorer Cretaro who he said one of the top players in League of Ireland football.
O'Shea, John Russell and Séamus Conneely were always a threat for the visitors and it took a diving save by the Galway goalkeeper to deny David McDaid after nine minutes.
Russell forced Reds goalkeeper Richard Brush into a couple of superb saves at the start of the second half before Cretaro broke the deadlock. Brush kept a Russell shot out in the 73rd minute but he was unable to do anything about O'Shea's strike from the penalty spot.
SLIGO ROVERS: Brush, Coleman, Ventre, Piers, Almeida, O'Grady, Cash, Ryan, McDaid, Cretaro, Doherty. Subs: Feeney for Cash (83 mins); McTiernan for Doherty (88 mins).
GALWAY UNITED: Rogers, Connelly, Fitzgerald, McCulloch, Keane, Lester, Russell, Foley, O'Shea, Murphy, Jorgensen. Subs: Glynn for Foley (61 mins); Daveren for Murphy (61 mins); Faherty for Jorgensen (70 mins).
Referee: D Tomney(Dublin).
