Moses Dyer treated us all to a screamer at Dalymount Park last Friday night.
Think Shane Long against Germany in 2015. Galway United goalkeeper Evan Watts played the Darren Randolph role, clipping a 60-yard assist for Dyer to catch Bohemians defender Rob Cornwall on the hop before the sweetest connection curved the ball over James Talbot’s despairing right glove.
The Red Sea parted as Moses was sucked towards Galway’s travelling fans and the camera lens of club videographer Paul Mladjenovic.
“Probably the best goal of my life,” Dyer said afterwards.
The epitome of a journeyman pro, last capped by New Zealand in 2018, the 28-year-old quietly found his way to Galway over the winter with a middling goal-every-4.5-games average in the Canadian Premier League.
The Kiwi had already beaten Cornwall to make it 1-0 with a towering header so his unforgettable second meant that Galway prevailed, albeit with just 27 per cent possession.
Bohs sank into the relegation zone despite taking 31 shots to the visitors’ six, as the future of their manager Alan Reynolds became the only conversation around Phibsborough.
Galway climbed to second in the table, held off the top by St Patrick’s Athletic on goal difference, as Shamrock Rovers head west for tonight’s clash at Eamonn Deacy Park.
“I am loving my time here so far,” Dyer told Galway Bay FM when the adrenaline subsided. “It is very different to what I am used to. Everything is different. The fans. The wet. The style of play. The league is different ...”
You could hear the wheels turning inside his head. “But different is good. I am slowly getting used to it.”
Different is Galway improving on last season’s fifth in the Premier Division, qualifying for Europe and maybe even delivering an unexpected profit for property developer brothers Luke and Brian Comer, who took an 85 per cent stake in United in 2022.
Dyer’s three goals in seven matches have been a point of difference, but Galway are on the charge under John Caulfield and his assistant Ollie Horgan, because of the defensive wall they have constructed.
Only once this season have the unbeaten Tribesmen controlled possession, holding 56 per cent in the 1-0 defeat of Waterford.
“When you have Bohs playing long balls from the halfway line at the end, you know you’ve done well,” Caulfield remarked. “An easy one next week against Shamrock Rovers.”
The ultimate clash of footballing philosophies awaits.
Under Stephen Bradley, Rovers are continually brave enough to keep the ball, not least on their famous European nights in Vienna and Norway.
Under Caulfield, Galway have secured uncompromising draws in Cork, Drogheda and Derry while they beat St Pat’s 2-1 off 33 per cent possession and held champions Shelbourne 1-1 with 32 per cent.
“Some people miss the art of defending,” said Caulfield. “All Bohs could see was a wall of brilliant defenders that dealt with all the high balls. It was pleasing but nothing more than I expected.”
The foreman on site is Greg Cunningham. Capped three times by Giovanni Trapattoni before breaking his leg in 2011, Cunningham returned home last season after a 15-year career in England that began at Manchester City before 250 appearances in the Championship, mainly for Preston North End.
Killian Brouder’s heroic shift last Friday was also laid at Caulfield’s feet but the manager who guided Cork City to a league and cup double in 2017 only saw the ends justifying the means.
“Well, that’s his job. I don’t mean that to be disrespectful, because he is a brilliant lad. But I expect him to do that because that’s what he’s good at.
“There’s a lot of nonsense in the modern game – everyone wants to be the sexy defender playing out. The basics are, number one, you have to defend, win the headers, block the shots, deal with the crosses. Nothing has changed.”
Galway United arguably benefited from Randy Lerner outbidding the Comers for ownership of Aston Villa in 2005. The Glenamaddy brothers began to invest in the club around 2013 while maintaining an interest in horse training and breeding.
“If I were in soccer to make money, I’d not be making much money, put it that way,” Luke Comer told the Business Post in 2023. “We’ll stay involved unless somebody wants to come in and buy the club for a fortune.”
Up Next
The multi-club models, Drogheda and Waterford, meet at United Park while Derry City and Cork City scrap for relevance at the Brandywell after underwhelming starts to their campaigns.
Reynolds is desperate to end Bohs’ atrocious home record against bottom side Sligo Rovers and there is the small matter of St Pat’s welcoming Shelbourne to Richmond Park where the former Republic of Ireland coaching team of Stephen Kenny and Damien Duff will attempt to outsmart each other live on Virgin Media Two.
