Galway United 1
Sligo Rovers 1
John Fallon reports from Eamonn Deacy Park
THE FIRST CONNACHT derby of the season ended in stalemate at Eamonn Deacy Park.
It’s a result which does little to ease either sides’ relegation troubles with Galway still looking for their first win of the campaign.
It looked like they might achieve that when they got on top in the opening quarter and deservedly hit the front after 12 minutes after some good pressure.
The impressive Ronan Murray raced through and drilled a low shot which came back off the right post.
Sligo were unable to clear the danger and Jesse Devers headed a cross off the crossbar before Murray followed through to tap home.
Murray, having scored two of the three goals they managed to prior to this one, was their key performer throughout but Galway could have done with a few more contributing as much as the ex-Notts County man.
However, Shane Keegan’s men couldn’t build on that lead score and it took a good save from Conor Winn to deny Raf Cretaro.
The former Galway player was central to most good things Sligo produced and he set up the equaliser nine minutes from the interval when he pounced on a long delivery to tee up Kieran Sadlier and the Irish U-21 made no mistake to shoot home his fourth goal of the campaign.
Cretaro went close shortly after the restart and both keepers were called into action on a few occasions but neither side could find a winner during a lively second-half.
GALWAY UNITED: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Lee Grace, Stephen Folan, Marc Ludden; Gary Shanahan, Paul Sinnott, Jesse Devers (Conor Melody 74), David Cawley, Ronan Murray; Vinny Faherty (Aaron Conway 84).
SLIGO ROVERS: Michael Schlingermann; Tobi Adabayo-Rowling, Kyle Callan-McFadden, Michael Leahy, Gary Boylan; Liam Martin, Craig Roddan, Daniel Kearns, John Russell (Chris Kenny 90), Kieran Sadlier; Raffaele Cretaro.
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).
