Galway United 3, Cork City 2

An inspired Galway United clinched their first home victory of the season and in the process have well and truly stoked the fires of their survival battle.

Brimming with confidence after his Under-21 international call up, Jay O'Shea bagged a brace, and a sterling display from Ciaran Foley led United at last to a Terryland victory.

O'Shea's first arrived after seven minutes and what a goal it was. The former Bray man picked up a Jonathon Keane pass on the right and began his mazy dribble. He danced past Billy Woods and Dan Murray and placed an exquisite shot past the rooted Michael Devine.

However, Cork struck back after 20 minutes with some hesitant defending to blame. Danny Murphy cleverly made space on the left and whipped in a ball along the six-yard line. The United rearguard failed to clear the danger and Timmy Kiely connected and Gary Rogers failed to deal sufficiently with the shot.

On the brink of half-time United retook the lead through man-of-the-match Foley. After some fine work by Marc McCulloch and John Russell on the left, the ball was slipped to Foley and with the outside of his right boot he fired past Devine, for his first league goal of the season.

After Jesper Jorgensen hit the bar early in the second half, United didn't have long to wait for their third and once more it came from the boot of O'Shea. Jorgensen was quickest to an Alan Keane through ball and raced towards goal but was hauled to the ground by Devine for a penalty. Devine injured himself in the process, but his replacement, Mark McNulty was sent the wrong way by O'Shea.

United were reduced to ten men after Jonathon Keane received his second yellow of the night with 15 minutes remaining, and Cork quickly pulled a goal back. Alan Keane failed to clear a throw-in and Lawrie Dudfield blasted past Rogers ensuring a nervous last 10 minutes.

The visitors piled forward in search of the equaliser and almost grabbed a point late on, but Rogers' full-length dive kept out Gareth Cambridge's effort and sent the Terryland crowd into rapturous delight.

Galway United: Rogers; Conneely, A. Keane, Fitzgerald, McCulloch; J. Keane, Lester, Foley, Russell; O'Shea (O'Shea, 82), Jorgensen (Murphy, 75)

Cork City: Devine (McNulty, 67); Horgan, Murray, Sullivan, Woods (O'Connor, 62); Kiely (Cambridge, 84), Gamble, Darren Murphy, Danny Murphy; Dudfield, Kearney

Referee: Mark Gough (Limerick).

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