Report | Galway United 1-0 Wexford

The hosts were looking to put four consecutive league win together after three fantastic wins against Athlone Town, UCD and an incredible 94th minute winner by Kevin Farragher against Shamrock Rovers II in a game where United were put to the pin of their collar.

Wexford on the other hand had lost their previous six league outings, including an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of UCD.

This was seen as a real chance for John Caulfield’s men to capitalise with critics and fans expecting nothing other than a comfortable win for the home side.

United started with intent compared to last week’s sluggish display against Rovers II, pressing Wexford players well on the ball. They were rewarded with an early goal in the 9th minute.

Conor Barry laid the ball off for Shane Duggan to swing in a beautiful cross to the six yard box, leaving it on a tee for Enda Curran to nicely head the ball into the back of the net past the despairing Tom Murphy in the Wexford goal.

Minutes later Enda Curran could have had a brace when a Mikey Place cross looked like reaching him, Curran would’ve have had the simple task of heading home from close range, but Murphy just intervened in the knick of time to clear the ball.

Curran had another chance to add his second goal on the half hour mark, but the ball fell to his weaker left foot from 15 yards out, and he fired his effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Wexford’s only real chance of the half fell to Craig Giles, grandson of the Republic of Ireland and Leeds United legend John Giles. The ball fell to Giles on the edge of the box after a rebound broke to him from a free kick, but he could only strike his effort straight at Kevin Horgan.

United went into the half time interval with a slender 1-0 lead after failing to build on their early dominance and goal. John Caulfield would be looking for more from his men in the second half to kill the game off with a second goal.

Caulfield brought Stephen Christopher on for the injured Conor Barry at the start of the second half. The former Cobh Ramblers star was looking to build on his impressive recent appearances and stunning strike against UCD.

Jay Nwanze had to intervene early in the second half to deny Enda Curran his second goal, cutting out a menacing Mikey Place cross.

Marc Ludden had a free kick moments later in a dangerous position just outside the Wexford box, he struck it well, powering it towards the bottom left corner, but Tom Murphy reacted quickly and got his hands to it and he pushed the ball out for a corner.

Chances were few and far between in the second half with the Wexford’s defence putting up a staunch rearguard action, which meant United saw very few chances in the second half.

With John Caulfield’s men only holding a slender 1-0 advantage, there was always an outside chance that they could be dealt a late sucker punch, but thanks to the fantastic centre-back pairing of Kevin Farragher and Killian Brouder, Wexford never really looked like equalising.

United easily held out for the remaining minutes of the game to extend their league winning run to four, putting them firmly back in the picture for one of the four valuable play-off spots, which is something that looked unlikely when John Caulfield was appointed manager just under a month ago.

Galway United: Horgan, Lynch, Farragher, Brouder, Ludden, Warde (Molloy 60), Duggan, Barry (Christopher 46), Doherty (Ubaezuonu 72), Place (Faherty 80), Curran (Waweru 60)

Wexford FC: Murphy, Giles, Fitzsimons, Carroll, Tobin, Larkin, Crowley, Nwanze, Smith, Doherty, Yussuf (Benrouguibi 63)

Reiteor: Robert Dowling