Premier Division: Galway United 2 [Dyer 68, 70] Drogheda United 1 [Markey 45+1]
A quick-fire brace from Moses Dyer put Galway United joint top of the Premier Division on Friday night.
Technically, on goal difference, they are second behind the vanquished Drogheda United but try selling that reality to the majority of the 3,537 attendance inside Eamonn Deacy Park.
That’s seven goals for Dyer, the journeyman New Zealand international who is shaping into the find of the season.
The unorthodox approach employed by Galway coaches John Caulfield and Ollie Horgan almost secured European football in 2025. They pulled up last season down the home straight, much like Greg Cunningham’s hamstring six minutes before half-time.
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Premier Division round-up: Moses Dyer double has Galway hot on the heels of Drogheda at the top
The former Republic of Ireland international’s departure offered Caulfield an opportunity to reduce the number of maroon defenders from six to five.
Cian Byrne, on loan from Bohemians, would surely step back from his deep-lying midfield role to cover for Cunningham, right?
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Wrong. Garry Buckley entered the fray as Byrne continued to disrupt the FAI Cup holders as a number six.
The Galway formation – an interesting 6-1-2-1 – may seem overly-simplistic but the long-legged Americans Patrick Hickey and Vincent Borden were willing target men for David Hurley to clip balls towards, with Dyer running in behind.
“Moses only scores away from home,” noted one regular observer, before the flood.
Hurley and Dyer went close in the early running – there was plenty of chasing and aerial contests – but Luke Dennison had his angles covered. The Drogheda goalkeeper also touched a Byrne header around the post to keep it scoreless.
On the chances front, Galway led 3-0. This imaginary score was levelled at 3-3 when Brendan Clarke’s fast hands denied Thomas Oluwa before the striker had his next effort blocked by Jeannot Esua. As the visitors grew into the contest, mainly by keeping possession, Ryan Brennan blazed a shot over the crossbar.
Darragh Markey’s form this year has proved the difference between Drogheda and the chasing capital clubs – St Patrick’s Athletic, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne – and it was the Dubliner’s low finish from outside the Galway box that kept them top of the Premier Division at half-time.
They held that position by full-time because of Seán Grehan’s 97th-minute winner for Bohs against St Pat’s at Dalymount Park.
St Pat’s led 1-0 at the turn, thanks to a Chris Forrester penalty and Matthew Healy’s goal nudged Rovers clear of Shels until Ali Coote drew Damien Duff’s men level in Tallaght.
The Drogheda goal improved the spectacle as it forced Galway to come out of their shell with their back six turning into four centre backs as Esua and Robert Burns raided the flanks.
When Borden, another hamstring victim, was forced off, Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty tried to kill the contest by giving Douglas James-Taylor his first run of the season.
On loan from parent club Walsall, the Londoner was Drogheda’s star-turn in 2024, netting seven times in a glorious cup run that secured European football later this year.
The status quo looked like it might hold, until Caulfield and Horgan abandoned their defensive instincts with Dyer pouncing for a headed equaliser in the 68th minute.
The Kiwi had just taken his head out of his hands after smashing the crossbar in the 67th minute. Come the 70th minute, Moses parted the Drogheda defence to bundle his seventh of the campaign.
Turns out, he can score at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Nobody, not Caulfield nor Horgan, needed to tell Galway to revert to type. Defending must become an art form when leading 2-1 at home to the league leaders.
There were plenty of heroic interventions. Killian Brouder and Robert Slevin had more than the rest.
James-Taylor skimmed the crossbar in the last seconds of the five minutes added on.
Cue joy on the Dyke Road. Football for the soul.
GALWAY UNITED: Clarke; Esua, Slevin, Cunningham (Buckley 39), Brouder, Burns (Kerrigan 82); Byrne; Hickey, Hurley, Borden (Walsh 60); Dyer.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Dennison; Lambe, Quinn (Bosakani 78), Keely, Bolger, Kane (Cruise 74); Farrell, Markey (Heeney 74), Brennan (Doyle 74); Davis, Oluwa (James-Taylor).
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
