Dundalk Earn Late Draw at Galway as Burns Haunts Hosts Again
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson was in attendance at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night as Dundalk FC battled back to claim a dramatic 2–2 draw against Galway United, with former Galway player Bobby Burns scoring a late equaliser against his old side.
The Republic of Ireland boss watched from the stands as an entertaining contest unfolded in Galway, where both sides enjoyed spells of dominance in a match filled with goals, controversy and late drama.
Dundalk Strike First
The home side started the game on the front foot, immediately testing Dundalk goalkeeper Conor Kearns. Stephen Walsh was particularly lively early on and twice forced the Dundalk defence into action, but despite Galway’s early pressure it was the visitors who made the breakthrough.
Dundalk’s opener arrived following a moment of quality from former Republic of Ireland international Daryl Horgan. The winger glided past Arthur Parker down the left flank before delivering a dangerous cross into the box. At the near post, Gbemi Arubi rose highest and powered a header past Galway goalkeeper Evan Watts to hand Dundalk an early lead.
Galway responded quickly and felt they should have been awarded a penalty shortly afterwards. Walsh went down inside the Dundalk penalty area following a clash with Arubi, but referee Alan Patchell waved away the appeals. Just minutes later, Walsh again found himself on the turf after another challenge in the box, but once more the referee was unmoved.
Despite their frustration, Galway continued to push forward. However, Dundalk held firm defensively and went into the half-time break with a slender 1–0 advantage.
Galway Turn the Game Around
Galway emerged from the interval with renewed energy and quickly put Dundalk under sustained pressure. Canadian winger Twardek began to cause problems down the right-hand side, repeatedly testing the Dundalk defence and stretching the visitors.
The equaliser arrived after a superb piece of control from Twardek. A long pass from David Hurley was brought down brilliantly by the winger before he drove into the penalty area. A loose ball fell kindly for Galway’s talisman Stephen Walsh, who reacted quickest to slot home and bring the sides level.
The momentum had firmly swung in favour of the hosts, and Galway continued to press forward in search of a second goal. Their efforts were rewarded shortly afterwards when Killian Brouder was fouled just outside the left edge of the penalty area.
Captain Jimmy Keohane stepped up to deliver the free-kick and produced an excellent cross to the back post. Twardek, who had been a constant threat since coming on, met the delivery with a powerful header that flew past Kearns and into the net, completing the turnaround and giving Galway a 2–1 lead.
Burns Comes Back to Haunt Former Club
With his side trailing, Dundalk manager Ciarán Kilduff responded decisively by introducing four substitutions in an attempt to swing the momentum back in favour of the Lilywhites.
The changes paid off in the 80th minute. Dundalk won a corner that was delivered into the danger area by Horgan. Aaron Bolger managed to head the initial ball clear at the near post, but the danger was not over.
The rebound fell perfectly for former Galway winger Bobby Burns on the edge of the box. With little hesitation, Burns unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that flew into the bottom corner, silencing the home crowd and levelling the match at 2–2.
Late Drama but No Winner
The closing stages were frantic as both teams pushed for a decisive goal. Galway once again appealed for a penalty during a tense spell inside the Dundalk box, but their claims were dismissed for a third time.
At the other end, Dundalk forced several desperate clearances from the Galway defence as the Lilywhites searched for a late winner.
Despite further substitutions from Galway boss John Caulfield and end-to-end action in the final minutes, neither side could find a decisive breakthrough. After an absorbing contest, the referee brought proceedings to a close with the sides sharing the spoils.
The result leaves both teams reflecting on what might have been, while Ireland manager Hallgrímsson witnessed an entertaining League of Ireland encounter packed with attacking football and late drama.
Teams
Galway United: E Watts, A Parker, C Barratt (Twardek 40), J Keohane, K Brouder, S Walsh, A Bolger (Piesold 89), D Hurley (Wolfe 82), G Facchineri, L Devitt, E McCarthy (McCormack 82).
Dundalk: C Kearns, C O’Keefe, B Burns, A Dervin (McDaid 70), D Horgan, G Arubi (Groome 70), R Teehan, E Kenny (Mullen 70), K Buckley (Wilson 70), R Cornwall, J R Wilson.
Referee: Alan Patchell.
