Rampant champions pile misery on hapless Galway

Soccer:Galway Utd 0; Shamrock Rovers 4

AS COMFORTABLE a win as was expected brought a difficult week to a satisfactory end for Shamrock Rovers as the champions maintained their three-point lead at the top of the table by inflicting a 12th league defeat in succession on bottom side Galway.

Poles apart at either end of the table, further evidence of the respective clubs’ standing was evident in their line-ups.

Doubtless with Tuesday’s home clash with Dundalk in mind, Rovers could rest four of the side that drew 1-1 with Derry last Monday. Such are Galway’s difficulties at the minute, their manager Seán Connor could name just four on his bench.

Though Rovers enjoyed all the early possession it was Galway who carved the first opening of the game on 13 minutes when Eduardo, following Bobby Ryan’s incisive pass, brought a diving save from Alan Mannus.

But it was merely a false dawn for the patchwork Galway side as they were a goal down two minutes later.

Right-back Pat Sullivan’s sublime ball was perfect for the run of midfielder Stephen Rice and he took a touch before firing past the advancing Greg Fleming.

Billy Dennehy had a goal disallowed for offside five minutes later, but Galway might have been level on 22 minutes.

A slip by Rovers’ captain Dan Murray gifted the ball to Mikey Gilmore who, instead of laying the ball off to the better placed Ronan Caldwell, shot wide of the target from a tight angle.

Inevitably, most of the defending was having to be done at the other end, none more so than when Evan Preston Kelly got his body in the way of Gary Twigg’s goal-bound shot after Dennehy had turned provider.

Gary O’Neill lobbed on to the roof of the net while Twigg shot into the side-netting as Galway held out until the break.

After 48 minutes they were 2-0 down, however. Dennehy put over a low cross from the left that wasn’t cut out and opposite winger Gary McCabe swept the ball home.

The goal of the night on 66 minutes ended what was never really a contest as Twigg tapped home after Dennehy drew ’keeper Fleming having been put clean through on goal by substitute Ronan Finn.

The save of the night by Fleming from Twigg’s header arrived minutes later before the Rovers striker chipped into the keeper’s arms when through one-on-one. Fleming made further stops from Dennehy, Finn and Ciarán Kilduff before Dennehy drilled home the fourth goal on 89 minutes.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Sullivan, Oman, Murray, McCormack; McCabe, Rice (Turner, 78 mins), O’Donnell (Finn, 64 mins), Dennehy; O’Neill, Twigg (Kilduff, 73 mins).

GALWAY UNITED: Fleming; Shaun Kelly, Sinnott, Preston Kelly, G Kelly; Eduardo (Duggan, 52 mins); Gartland (Caldwell, 21 mins), Ryan, G Curran, Moore; Gilmore.

Referee: P Sutton (Clare).