Rovers 3 Galway Utd. 1

Hoops flying start too much for Galway...

Own Goal!
Sean O'Connors shot finds the Galway net

With just three minutes on the clock a Baker corner was met by the head of Maguire and the ball hit the back of the net to give the Hoops a great start in a game that they had to win. However there was more to follow as O'Connor's fine run into the box ended with a low shot across goal that the unfortunate Keane turned into his own goal. The visitors were in disarray and O'Brien fired a shot striaght at Rogers a minute later.

The game settled after the hectic start and on 15 minutes an O'Brien cross was met by Amond but his header didn't trouble Rogers. Some good pressure from Baker forced a corner in the 18th minute and Rogers was forced to palm the ball away and Ferguson shot first time into the side-netting. Galway forced two corners in the 24th minute and despite good deliveries they couldn't breach the Home defence.

A Baker corner in the 27th minute was met by Ferguson but a defender blocked his header in front of goal. Danny O'Connor tried his luck from outside the box on 31 minutes but Rogers got down well to save. In the 39th minute another good Galway corner was cleared but the ball was returned into the box and Fitzgerald turned well and fired a shot into the corner past Murphy.

The visitors were back in the game now and the Hoops cause wasn't helped by an injury to Padraig Amond that forced him off the pitch however it was great to see Stephen Rice back after injury. A Baker header put Purcell away on 43 minutes and he shrugged off the challenge of the last defender to fire the ball past Rogers for Rovers third.

The second half was never going to match the first and there was little in the way of goalmouth action as the Hoops defended their lead and the visitors tried in vain to get back into the game. An early corner caused some problems for the Rovers defence but at the other end Sean O'Connors fine cross almost fell to Rice at the back post.

A Rogers clearance in the 58th minute cannoned off Baker but went just wide. Ferguson headed over from Sean O'Connors cross in the 64th minute. Faherty had two good efforts for Galway when he headed just over the bar in the 67th minute and a good shot on the turn in the 73rd minute went just wide. However Galway couldn't find a way back into the game and the Hoops claimed three vital points.

Dessie Baker tries to win the ball