Shelbourne, guided to victory in a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out by Liam Burt, earned their spot in the FAI Cup quarter-finals after an extended match at Tolka Park came to a close. The midfielder Burt dispatched the decisive penalty from 12 yards, joining the likes of Aiden O’Brien, JJ Lunney, Mark Coyle, and Ali Coote in overcoming goalkeeper Brendan Clarke’s defences.
Despite Galway’s decent performance in the penalty shoot-out, represented by David Hurley, Jimmy Keohane, and Clarke, the fourth attempt by defender Garry Buckley soared over the crossbar. Frustratingly for both sides, the initial 90-minute game concluded without any decisive action, until O’Brien shot Shelbourne to the leading position in his first appearance for the club.
After officially joining the club earlier in the week, the experienced 30-year-old striker, with five caps for the Republic of Ireland, really made his presence felt in the fourth minute of extra time, albeit having been brought on just over the hour mark. Assisted by Burt, who spotted Coote’s run in behind, O’Brien seized the opportunity to land a powerful strike at close quarters.
Nonetheless, Galway stayed competitive in the nail-biting match, managing to draw level in the 115th minute following a sublime goal. Keohane was perfectly placed to volley a deflected cross from Karl O’Sullivan past Conor Kearns.
Shelbourne showcased initial promise, with an early opportunity created by Evan Caffrey, who outmanoeuvred defender Buckley, though his shot failed to seriously challenge Clarke. Despite Galway making good use of their opportunities in the first half, and testing Kearns with well-placed shots from Stephen Walsh and Ed McCarthy, Shelbourne’s resolute defence held firm. Towards the close of the first half, a line-save from Paddy Barrett frustrated another golden opportunity for Keohane. Shelbourne powered through despite their offensive struggles, only truly unsettling the visitors at the 44-minute mark, following an error by Jeannot Esua.
The football match between Caffrey and Clarke was full of drama. Caffrey managed to reach the end line, yet there was no teammate waiting to receive his cross, which ended up just passing by Clarke’s goal. During the first half’s stoppage time, there was a penalty appeal by Galway that the referee chose not to acknowledge.
The match produced a chain of events with Clarke’s goal kick proceeding through Pat Hickey and Walsh, ultimately finding Keohane. Keohane successfully moved the ball past Kearns before he collided with the goal keeper. This resulted in Galway’s manager, John Caulfield, receiving a yellow card due to his sideline protests.
The momentum of the game shifted post-interval, with Shelbourne showing greater intent and urgency. Buckley put up a commendable defence against a shot from Caffrey, exerting excessive pressure on Galway’s defence. The home team had a penalty appeal dismissed after a cross by Ali Coote hit a plummeting Cunningham’s arm.
Shelbourne continued to pressure Galway, with Clarke managing to make a superb save against Harry Wood’s shot from Lunney’s cross. This put Sean Gannon, the right back, in a position to shoot from a short distance following another of Lunney’s crosses, but he ended up missing.
A decisive ball from Barrett allowed substitute Matty Smith to take the initiative, but Clarke demonstrated resilient goalkeeping skills by saving at the striker’s feet. Amidst the final ninety seconds, Galway scored twice, but both were disallowed due to apparent offsides. Eventually, additional play and penalty kicks were required to determine the winner.
The line-ups for Shelbourne included Kearns; Gannon, Barrett, with Ledwidge substituting in, Griffin, Wilson substituted by Bone, Coyle, Lunney, Caffrey replaced by Smith, Wood substituted for Burt, Tulloch replaced by Coote, and Martin replaced by O’Brien.
Galway United’s line-up list comprised Clarke; Esua, Buckley, Brouder, Cunningham; Borden replaced by Hurley, McCormack substituted for O’Sullivan, Keohane, McCarthy replaced by Burns, Hickey substituted by Nugent, and Walsh replaced by Lomboto.
The match was overseen by referee Rob Harvey from Dublin.