Shamrock Rovers 3
Galway United 1

Two own-goals inside the first seven minutes by Seamus Conneely and Alan Keane ended this game as a spectacle, as Shamrock Rovers clinched maximum points from a sorry Galway United.

GLOOMY... Galway United manager Jeff Kenna looks perplexed in the dugout as his charges fall to another league defeat at the hands of Shamrock Rovers. PHOTO: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

United started with a new-look 4-3-3 formation, with Jay O'Shea and Derek O'Brien flanking front man Mark Leech, but that game-plan was immediately scuppered as the opener arrived after only three minutes. Darragh McGuire met Dessie Baker's corner from the right and his bullet-header managed to find the top corner off Conneely, as he attempted to head-over.

Amazingly, Rovers doubled their lead four minutes later. Baker was again instrumental, feeding Sean O'Connor down the right, who drilled the ball across the six-yard line. Agonisingly the ball deflected off Keane at the back post and trickled into the back of Gary Rogers' net.

United managed to pull one back in the 39th minute, through captain John Fitzgerald. Rovers failed to clear a corner and Leech picked up possession at the edge of the box. He slipped a neat pass to Fitzgerald who rifled home on the turn from14 yards for his first league goal of the season.

However, the comeback was short-lived as Rovers struck back through Tadhg Purcell just four minutes later. He raced through United's attempted offside trap before sliding the ball sweetly past a hapless Rogers.

Jeff Kenna rang the changes at half-time, switching to a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation and United looked more comfortable as a result.

Substitute Vinny Faherty twice came close for the Tribesmen, but on both occasions his efforts missed their intended target. United, despite their second-half endeavour, were unable to breach the Rovers rearguard again and the Hoops held out for a deserved victory.

After an hour-long dressing room meeting after the game, United manager Kenna was visibly infuriated with his team's effort. "We're conceding goals in the first few minutes of games and if we continue with that we are going to be relegated," he said. "We can prepare well all week and give them all the right information, but once they go out on the pitch they have to have the desire and the will to do well for Galway. There were three soft goals from us again. I'm very disappointed."

Shamrock Rovers: Murphy; O'Brien, D. O'Connor, Maguire, Ferguson; Flynn, Purcell, Price, S. O'Connor (Stapleton, 71); Almond (Rice, 41), D. Baker.

Galway United: Rogers; Conneely, Nooitmeer, Fitzgerald, A. Keane (Faherty, 45); O'Shea, Russell, Fenn (Lester, 45), Deegan, O'Brien; Leech

Referee: Damian Hancock.

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