Galway deepen Cork City's relegation worries with late winner

Irish Examiner

23-05-2025

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Galway United 2 (Moses Dyer 48, Conor McCormack 85) Cork City 1 (Djanairo Daniels 52 pen)
Late goals are sinking Cork City deep into relegation trouble and the pain was deepened by former player Conor McCormack swelling the gap for safety to 11 points.
John Caulfield is another City link at Galway and he'll be relieved to end a four-match losing sequence with a win that could have been denied after Moses Dyer's ninth goal of the season was cancelled by a penalty from City's Djanairo Daniels.
Next week's visit of champions Shelbourne marks the midway point of the season for City and new boss Ger Nash will know the return of two wins so far must be turbocharged to avoid a third drop in five years.
Nash abseiled straight into managerial mode last Friday against St Patrick's Athletic, straight off a connecting flight from Sweden.
Yet rather than just deliver the interval team-talk he did then, this was his first official game at the helm.
Preparations began last Saturday morning at Bishopstown and there was a newness to the shape of his team. Gone was his predecessor's back-five formation, with Milan Mbeng and Darragh Crowley operating as the full backs.
The newcomer wasn't afraid to make the bold calls in-game either, hauling off Freddie Anderson after one too many lapses by the young defender approaching the hour mark.
Introducing left-back Matt Kiernan necessitated a reshuffle that a first full week of training convinced him was doable.
It takes a mean defence to repel Galway's barrage of catapults into the box, both from play and especially deadballs, and the wild western weather contributed to a tenth-minute delivery holding up in the wind. Ed McCarthy latched onto the stray ball but the ex-Cork City winger squirted his shot past the near post.
Ditto Dyer later on 38 minutes when a hospital pass by Rio Shipston to Sean Murray was intercepted and recycled to the edge of the area.
Another of the City alumni, Garry Buckley, forced the only save of the half from Tein Troost – connecting with David Hurley's free-kick – yet Galway were the team fortunate to be level at the break.
Cathal O'Sullivan has been the glimmer of light in this testing season for the Rebels, the teenager seamlessly stepping up on his debut Premier Division season.
As has been the case against the best teams in the country, the nippy winger was a menace, drifting into channels undetected and producing killer passes at will.
An absurd booking incurred on 11 minutes for shooting after he'd been harshly penalised for a foul didn't curb his influence but he was guilty of squandering the best chance on the stroke of half-time. Galway's characteristic intuition eluded them from a long ball, allowing O'Sullivan to bend his run in behind and flick the ball past the advancing goalkeeper Evan Watts.
All he had to do was stroke the ball into the net but the brawn and experience of former Ireland international Greg Cunningham was enough to force him to skew the effort inches wide.
Seáni Maguire looked on from the sideline relishing such a chance and in what seemed a pre-planned move was introduced in place of Shipston.
Such is his history of injuries that a cautious approach is being applied but Dyer was the striker to make the most immediate impact within three minutes.
Cunningham's pass still left the league's top scorer with work to do but he dribbled past Anderson into the six-yard box and his cross deflected off the Stoke City loanee to loop over Troost and trickle beyond the goal-line.
Along came another goal another three minutes later and it was a controversial one through a penalty decision.
Referee Mark Houlihan deemed that Josh Fitzpatrick's cross struck the arm of Jeannot Esua, enabling Daniels – who'd drilled a first half chance wide – to send Watts the wrong way.
Three points were there for the taking but Galway showed their intent when both Cian Byrne and Cunningham glanced headers wide two minutes apart.
Esua would get the chance to atone for his concession by raiding down the right, past Leaving Cert student Kiernan, and his cross was laid back for McCormack to smash a shot from eight yards through a thicket of players past Troost.
Another relegation playoff is certain barring a major upturn in the second half of the season.
GALWAY UNITED: E Watts; R Slevin, G Buckley, G Cunningham; J Esua, D Hurley (S Walsh 81), C Byrne, V Borden (C McCormack 69), E McCarthy; P Hickey, M Dyer (C Horgan 88).
CORK CITY: T Tein; M Mbeng, F Anderson (M Fitzpatrick 58), C Lyons, D Crowley; S Murray, R Shipston (S Maguire 46), E McLaughlin (G Bolger 54); C O'Sullivan, D Daniels, J Fitzpatrick (M Murray 90+1).
Referee: M Houlihan