Galway strike again to end Bray’s promotion hopes

Caulfield’s fast-improving side now face Longford in next round of playoffs

John Caulfield: has overseen a recent transformation in Galway United’s fortunes. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
John Caulfield: has overseen a recent transformation in Galway United’s fortunes. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Galway United will face Longford Town in the next round of the First Division play-offs on Friday night at Belfield after beating league runners-up Bray 1-0 at the Carlisle Grounds on Saturday when Wilson Waweru pounced on a rebound eight minutes from time to get the only goal of the game.

The victory maintains United's remarkable run of form since the appointment of John Caulfield as manager and came a week after they had effectively prevented Gary Cronin's side going up automatically by beating them in the second last game of the regular league season..

United will now face Longford Town who beat UCD 3-2 away in dramatic fashion with goals right at the end of normal and extra-time ultimately putting the visitors through. The students had led through an early Colm Whelan goal but Joe Gorman's 90th minute effort meant another 20 minutes of play.

Yoyo Mahdy restored the hoe side’s advantage after 110 minutes but Gorman then cancelled it out again three minutes later and with things looking set to be decided by penalties, Dean Byrne then won the game in dramatic fashion with a spectacular long-range shot to the top left corner in the first minute of injury -time.

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The winners of Friday’s game will play the ninth-placed side in the Premier Division for a place in the top flight next season.

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone is Work Correspondent at The Irish Times