Blues have to settle for scoreless stalemate in the Salthill sand
Waterford FC's Tommy Lonergan in this tussle with Galway's Jimmy Keohane. Photo: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
The recent heatwave and subsequent hosepipe ban did little to help the Pearse Stadium surface, with parts of the pitch resembling the nearby sands of Salthill beach. As a result, this SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash between Galway United and Waterford FC lacked much of the intensity and quality both sides would have hoped for as they played out a goalless draw.
With swirling wind and intermittent rain making conditions difficult, the opening half produced plenty of chances, corners and yellow cards. However, the second period lacked the same energy and cutting edge, with neither side able to find a breakthrough.
Galway started brightly and forced three early corners, although the visitors, playing in all white, were rarely troubled from the resulting set pieces.
The Tribesmen almost opened the scoring after seven minutes when Ed McCarthy found space down the left and delivered a cross to the back post. Aaron Bolger’s effort looked destined for the net until Hayden Cann produced a superb goal-line clearance.
A minute later, John Caulfield’s men went close again. Frantz Pierrot surged past Benny Couto on the right and squared for Jimmy Keohane, but the midfielder dragged his right-footed shot inches wide of the far post when he should have at least tested Stephen McMullan.
Waterford responded with three successive corners of their own, though they were equally unable to make them count. Referee Paul Norton also waved away two half-hearted penalty appeals from the visitors, both for alleged handball offences.
The Blues came within inches of taking the lead on 15 minutes. Jordan Houston’s cross from the right was knocked down by Kevin Long into the path of John Mahon, whose deflected effort beat Hugo Cunha but crashed back off the crossbar.
Tempers began to flare midway through the half. Cann was booked on 22 minutes for pulling back an opponent before Gianfranco Facchineri escaped a caution despite a robust challenge on the Waterford defender moments later.
Mahon soon joined Cann in the referee’s notebook following an altercation with Cunha. Houston then tried his luck from distance on the half-hour mark after being teed up by Will Johnson, but the effort cleared the Galway crossbar.
Further yellow cards followed for Pierrot and Padraig Amond before Galway threatened again on 35 minutes, Stephen Walsh laying the ball into the path of Pierrot, whose effort drifted just over the bar.
Waterford ended the first half strongly. Wasiri Williams headed straight at McMullan before the visitors squandered a glorious opportunity on 38 minutes. Benny Couto’s cross was flicked on by Amond into the path of Houston, but the defender somehow fired over from six yards.
Graham Coughlan’s side created two more excellent chances before the interval, both falling to Johnson. His first effort was well saved by Cunha, while the second took a deflection and flew inches wide of the post.
The second half was a far more subdued affair.
Conan Noonan and Tommy Lonergan both fired wide from distance early on before Walsh hooked over from close range after a long throw was only partially cleared.
After a lively opening period, it took until the 71st minute for either side to register an effort on target. Keohane cut inside Couto on the right, but his left-footed strike was comfortably gathered by McMullan.
Waterford threatened four minutes later when Johnson delivered a cross from the right for Mahon, whose header lacked sufficient power to trouble Cunha.
Galway’s best chance of the second half arrived nine minutes from time. Kris Twardek’s cross fell invitingly to Francely Lomboto on the edge of the area, but the substitute dragged his right-footed effort wide of McMullan’s far post.
Neither side could muster a decisive moment in the closing stages, and a contest that promised much during an entertaining first half ultimately finished in a disappointing stalemate.
Cunha; Barratt (Wolfe 68), Kavanagh, Facchineri, Williams; Bolger, Keohane (Devitt 88); Hurley, McCarthy (Twardek 79), Pierrot (Lomboto 68); Walsh.
McMullan; Houston, Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto; Heeney (McLaughlin 65), Johnson, Noonan; Lonergan, Amond (Voilas 85).
Paul Norton (Dublin).
