Galway United 1
Salthill Devon 1

Keith Kelly

THE first ever Galway derby in the FAI Cup ended with the ‘honours’ going Salthill Devon’s way, but the fact bragging rights came down to not being beaten says it all about an instantly forgettable tie in Terryland Park on Friday night.

The two sides met again last night in Drom to decide which team will be Galway’s representative in the quarter finals, but whoever the winners were paired with in last night’s draw will fancy their chances of booking a semi-final slot if Friday’s evidence is anything to go by.
Devon played to their potential, United were a long way short of theirs, and in the end there was nothing to separate the sides in what was a desperately poor game.

The better chances fell to United, but it will be the First Division side who will be kicking themselves at not providing the shock of the competition in dumping their more illustrious hosts out in their own back yard after having an 18th minute penalty brilliantly saved by United ‘keeper Barry Ryan.

Ciprian Straut was the villain of the piece for Devon, as it was his effort from 12 yards which Ryan got down to his right to smother, but the Romanian atoned for that miss by popping up with the equaliser in the 84th minute, just 60 seconds after United had taken the lead courtesy of Jason Molloy.

Devon set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Mike Quirke sweeping between defence and midfield, and Victor Collins ploughing a lone furrow up front, while United went with the more conventional 4-4-2 formation, with Stephen Walsh joining Karl Sheppard up front as Rhys Meynell and Paul Sinnott both returned from suspension to line out in defence.

With Ciaran Foley missing, Gary Curran tucked into the centre of midfield with Tom King handed a rare start on the right, but it was from the other wing that United looked most threatening, with Derek O’Brien giving James Whelan a torrid time.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.