Galway United and Waterford FC played out a hard-fought but ultimately forgettable SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division draw at Pearse Stadium on Friday night, with difficult conditions and a poor playing surface contributing to a contest that failed to deliver the quality expected from two sides chasing important points.
Recent warm weather and the hosepipe ban have taken their toll on the Pearse Stadium pitch, with several areas cutting up badly and resembling the nearby sands of Salthill beach. Combined with swirling winds and intermittent rain, it made for a difficult evening for both teams and ensured that attractive football was in short supply.
The first half, however, did provide plenty of entertainment. There were chances at both ends, a host of corners and several bookings as neither side was prepared to give an inch.
Galway made the brighter start and forced three early corners without seriously troubling Stephen McMullan in the Waterford goal. The home side came within inches of taking the lead on seven minutes when Ed McCarthy found space down the left flank and delivered a dangerous cross towards the back post. Aaron Bolger met the delivery but saw his effort brilliantly cleared off the line by Hayden Cann.
John Caulfield’s side continued to push forward and should have been ahead just a minute later. Frantz Pierrot showed great strength and skill to get beyond Benny Couto on the right before squaring for Jimmy Keohane inside the area. The midfielder looked favourite to score but dragged his effort narrowly wide of the far post.
Waterford gradually grew into the contest and began to ask questions of their own. The visitors won three successive corners but, like Galway, were unable to create anything meaningful from the resulting set pieces.
The Blues then came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on 15 minutes. Jordan Houston sent over a dangerous cross from the right and Kevin Long intelligently knocked the ball down into the danger area. John Mahon reacted quickest and got away a shot that took a slight deflection before looping beyond Hugo Cunha, only to rebound off the crossbar with the Galway goalkeeper beaten.
As the game became increasingly physical, referee Paul Norton was kept busy. Cann was shown a yellow card for a clear pull-back before Galway defender Gianfranco Facchineri was fortunate to escape punishment following a robust challenge near the touchline. Mahon also found his way into the referee’s notebook during a feisty spell before further bookings followed for Pierrot and Waterford captain Padraig Amond.
Waterford finished the opening period strongly and wasted two excellent opportunities to take a deserved lead. On 38 minutes, Benny Couto delivered a dangerous cross from the left that was flicked on by Amond into the path of Houston. Arriving unmarked six yards from goal, the defender somehow sent his effort over the crossbar.
The visitors continued to threaten. Will Johnson tested Cunha with a well-struck effort that the goalkeeper did well to save, before the midfielder saw another attempt deflect inches wide of the post as Galway survived a sustained period of pressure before the interval.
For all the first-half entertainment, the second period proved to be a complete contrast.
The difficult surface increasingly influenced proceedings as both teams struggled to build momentum. Conan Noonan and Tommy Lonergan each tried their luck from distance early in the half but failed to hit the target, while Stephen Walsh scooped a close-range effort over the bar after Waterford had failed to clear a long throw.
Clear-cut opportunities were virtually non-existent as the game drifted towards its conclusion. Remarkably, it took until the 71st minute for the second half’s first effort on target. Keohane cut inside from the right and unleashed a left-footed strike, but it was comfortably gathered by McMullan.
Waterford responded four minutes later when Johnson delivered another inviting cross into the penalty area. Mahon rose highest but could only direct a weak header towards goal, allowing Cunha to make a straightforward save.
The closest either side came to finding a winner arrived with nine minutes remaining. Substitute Kris Twardek swung in a cross from the left that dropped perfectly for fellow substitute Francely Lomboto on the edge of the area. The winger struck his effort cleanly but guided it wide of McMullan’s far post, much to the relief of the travelling support.
Galway United: Cunha; Barratt (Wolfe 68), Kavanagh, Facchineri, Williams; Bolger, Keohane (Devitt 88); Hurley, McCarthy (Twardek 79), Pierrot (Lomboto 68); Walsh.
Waterford FC: McMullan; Houston, Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto; Heeney (McLaughlin 65), Johnson, Noonan; Lonergan, Amond (Voilas 85).
Attendance: 2,015
