Frantz Pierrot’s late winner and a stunning David Hurley volley earned Galway United a 2-1 win over Derry City at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Pierrot again Olé Olé rang around Eamon Deacy Park on Friday night, as he grabbed his second goal of the season to secure Galway United a crucial win over injury struck Derry City. David Hurley opened the scoring with a magical volley from 25 yards, but Derry soon found an equaliser through Thomas Clare, worked a super goal. It was on the 82nd minute that Pierrot fired Galway ahead and sealed victory for Galway.
Questions are being asked of Tiernan Lynch and his injury struck side, as the visitors were without James and Patrick McClean, Michael Duffy and Brian Maher on Friday night. Despite these injuries Derry looked threatening going forward, but lacked defensively. Derry are now winless in their 5 last games and are 8th in the table on 9 points. They will look to bounce back on Monday against 9th placed Sligo Rovers.
Galway now sit 6th after the first quarter of the league campaign and are looking likely for a mid table finish. Galway have developed their goal scoring threat tremendously this season, but have looked shaky at the back at times, and have only kept a single clean sheet this season, an unusual characteristic for a John Caulfield side.
It was the visitors who nearly drew first blood inside the first minute, as Brandon Fleming saw his shot tail just wide from the edge of the box. Derry continued on the front foot, as Fleming slipped Thomas Clarke into the box, but was thwarted by Aaron Bolger.
Galway looked to have woke up after the opening 10 minutes, as Kris Twardek put a dangerous cross into the box, but it proved just too high for captain Jimmy Keohane as his leaping effort sailed over the bar. Another chance soon followed for the Tribesmen, but was stopped by captain Jamie Stott in the box.
On 16 minutes Galway were awarded a free kick from 25 yards out. The initial left footed attempt from David Hurley was blocked by the Derry wall, but Hurley drew a right boot on the ball on the volley, and it flew into the bottom right hand corner, giving Galway the lead. Hurley’s perfectly placed effort eluded the diving effort of Edward Beach, and that goal will surley be in contention for goal of the season.
Galway relentlessly pushed for s second goal, as goalscorer Hurley swung a ball into Keohane, who saw his shot saved low by Beach in the Derry net.
Darragh Markey’s corner on 22 minutes almost drew the sides level, as Stott’s header was blocked off the line by Keohane, preventing a sure goal for the visitors.
Derry continued with the momentum, as Thomas Clarke combined with Barry Cotter down the right hand side. Cotter’s ball into Markey was inch perfect, but couldn’t find the net, as he had fouled Galway’s Lee Devitt in efforts to retain possession. Cotter proved to cause Galway issued down the right hand side, as he whipped in a dangerous cross to Fleming at the back post, who’s header landed straight into the hands of ‘keeper Evan Watts.
Galway had calls for a penalty in the 34th minute, as Twardek and Hurley combined to set Conor Barratt up in the box, who’s shot was blocked by Stott and went out for a corner. The boyant home crowd and Galway players insisted on a hand ball by the Derry skipper, but referee Neil Doyle waved to play on.
Galway had one final chance in the first half, as Hurley robbed possession from Derry, giving the ball to Keohane, who teed up a shot for Bolger on the edge of the box, but his first time effort was saved by Beach in goal.
Derry threw the kitchen sink at Galway for the remaining 5 minutes of the game, with the best chance coming from a Markey cross, and a goal nearly came for Derry off the back of Stephen Walsh’s head, but luckily for him it struck the post.
Galway entered the tunnel the happier of the two sides as they had the advantage thanks to Hurley’s effort. Despite having two thirds of possession in the opening half, Derry were sloppy, and Tiernan Lynch had a job to do, in order to get a result.
Derry started the second half strongly, as Afolabi Akinyemi’s free kick was just over the bar inside the opening 60 seconds. Fleming and Markey combined down the left hand side, but the cross into the box was blocked by Galway. Thomas Clarke then ran past two Galway men into the Galway box, and his shot was saved low by Watts. On the 61st minute deja vú struck, as Clarke replicated this trick, except this time he found the bottom right hand corner, giving Derry a foothold in the contest while getting his first goal as a Derry player in the process.
Galway soon regained momentum, as substitute Matty Wolfe saw his shot sail over the bar. Walsh soon after managed to dispense a ball out of his feet quickly and slipped Ed McCarthy through on goal, but his second touch let him down and couldn’t muster up a shot to beat Beach in goal. Despite the missed attempt, it looked a formality that Galway would score within the last 20 minutes.
82 minutes into the contest, Matty Wolfe picked up a loose ball in midfield and took it forward before slipping a ball out to substitute Frantz Pierrot, who made no mistake and smashed home the winner for the Tribesmen from a tight angle on the right edge of the box into the bottom left corner, giving the Haitian his second goal in a maroon jersey, and his side the lead.
Galway kept pushing for a third goal in the contest, and Derry couldn’t stop the attacking play from Pierrot and Francley Lomboto, who proved to cause issues for the Derry defence in the dying embers of the game. Derry were unable to create a chance in the last 20 minutes, and it was a comfortable end to the game for Galway, and a crucial win at home.
Another crucial home win for Galway sees them move up to 6th in the table, and will face Drogheda away and Shelbourne at home in the next week, in hopes to continue their great form.
Speaking to John Caulfield after the game, he stated “We have to make our home form count”, something they have done this year with 3 of 4 home games resulting in a victory for the Tribesmen. He also praised Pierrot as he said “He will have a massive impact for us for the rest of the season”.
For Tiernan Lynch and his Candystripes its back to the drawing board, as they will feel the pressure from the Derry fans to pick up results over Sligo Rovers and Dundalk FC in the coming 7 days.
Man of the Match: Who else but David Hurley to scoop up Man of the Match on Friday night. He left no blade of grass uncovered against Derry and did his fair share of attacking and defensive work, with the cherry on top being his wonder gaol that will be up for awards come the end of the season.
Galway United (4-3-3): Evan Watts, Arthur Parker, Killian Brouder, Gianfranco Facchineri, Lee Devitt, Aaron Bolger, David Hurley, Conor Barratt, Kris Twardek, Stephen Walsh, Jimmy Keohane. Subs: Ed McCarthy for Keohane (65 mins), Matty Wolfe for Barratt (65 mins), Frantz Pierrot for Walsh (80 mins), Francley Lomboto (80 mins), Wasiri Williams for Parker (86 mins).
Derry City (3-4-2-1): Edward Beach, Alex Bannon, Jamie Stott, Rob Slevin, Barry Cotter, James Olayinka, Adam O’Reilly, Brandon Fleming, Darragh Markey, Thomas Clarke, Afolabi Akinyemi. Subs: Carl Winchester for Markey (59 mins), Conor Barr for Cotter (82 mins), Joshua Thomas for Akinyemi (82 mins).