Galway U 0 Bohemians 2:DURING THE opening two months of the League of Ireland season Galway United have endured several disturbing defeats at Terryland Park and another was added to the list last night.
Bohemians took control early on and were never seriously troubled by a Galway outfit that lost for the seventh game in a row as the Dublin side’s polished performance ensured they eked out a fifth away triumph of the campaign.
Pat Fenlon’s clever selection policy allows for a nice blend of youth and experience being on the park at all times and his side, who had lost four and drawn their last five matches with Galway, terminated that freak sequence.
Unsurprisingly, considering Galway’s woeful record at home, it was Bohemians who looked the more convincing outfit early on. Prompted by Mark Rossiter and Robert Bayly in the centre of the park the visitors were on the front foot as Galway struggled to cope with Bohemians’ tempo.
Seven minutes in left back Ger O’Brien’s wicked delivery flashed across the Galway goal, with Stephen Traynor just failing to connect, but Galway weren’t so fortunate moments later.
Traynor, the 19-year-old former Belvedere youngster, provided a reminder of his promise with a sweet left-wing cross that located Anto Flood, who headed Bohemians into a 12th-minute lead.
Galway manager Seán Connor will have taken crumbs of comfort from the manner in which Galway battled for the remainder of the first half as Enda Curran and Seán Kelly both went close with long-range efforts.
Having failed to level during their period of pressure Galway were always likely to encounter trouble after the interval and that is what happened. Flood was a constant menace and even though Galway goalkeeper Greg Fleming repelled an effort from the former Galway striker, Keith Buckley slammed the rebound home despite Stephen Walsh’s attempted block.
Bohemians sought to inflict further damage as a combination of the woodwork and Fleming’s reflexes kept the final scoreline respectable.
GALWAY UNITED: Fleming; Shaun Kelly, Sinnott, Walsh (Keogh, 77), G Kelly; Gartland (Cash, 54), Sean Kelly, Eduardo; Moore (Gilmore, 65); Ryan; E Curran.
BOHEMIANS: OConnor; Heary, Burns, Price, OBrien; Buckley, Rossiter (Cahill, 51), Bayly, Brennan; Traynor (Joyce, 90), Flood (Forrester, 87).
Referee: R Winter (Wicklow).
