Galway get better of Bohemians in eight-goal thriller

Galway United 5 Bohemians 3

Galway United came out on top of a thrilling contest at Eamonn Deacy Park which aside from producing eight goals, also had three penalties and a red card.

Bohs were unbeaten away from home all season but they were hit for five and finished with10 men when goalkeeper Dean Delaney was sent off in the closing stages.

Galway led 3-2 at the end of highly entertaining opening half which was full of goalmouth incident.

Bohs may have conceded just one goal away from home up to this all season, but Galway hit them for three in the opening 28 minutes.

Jake Keegan started the onslaught when he looped home a Ryan Connolly free after 12 minutes.

The Gypsies hit back and Paddy Kavanagh cracked home a fine effort from an angle into the top left corner four minutes later.

But Tommy Dunne's men, fresh from an unexpected win in Derry, struck again from a controversial spot-kick after Roberto Lopes was adjudged to have fouled Kevin Garcia, with Enda Curran converting.

Worse was to follow for Bohs after 28 minutes when Pádraic Cunningham dispossessed Derek Prendergast before racing through to slot into the bottom left corner.

Bohs made it 3-2 at the break when Dean Kelly expertly converted a penalty after Lopes was bundled over by Connolly.

Both sides continued to attack after the restart and it seemed that Ryan Connolly had it wrapped up for Galway with a neat finish eight minutes from the end.

Adam Evans pulled back a goal for Bohs three minutes from the end but their hopes of salvaging a bonus point ended when Delaney fouled Cunningham and Curran slotted home his second penalty, with Anto Murphy taking over between the posts for the Gypsies.

GALWAY UNITED: Gleeson; Raftery, Sinnott, Walsh, Horgan; Keegan, O'Leary, Connolly, Garcia (Shanahan 72); Curran, Cunningham.

BOHEMIANS: Delaney; Hayes, Prendergast (Mulcahy 55), Murphy, Fitzgerald; Kavanagh, Creevy (Byrne 58), Lopes, Evans; Buckley; Kelly (Griffin 71).

Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).