Two late goals flattered Shamrock Rovers as they escaped from Terryland Park scarcely deserving one of the three points they garnered in a match which saw both sides finish with 10 men.
In a finale that provided all the main ingredients of what had already been a fairly absorbing game, Billy Woods was the first to be sent off by referee John Stacey on 72 minutes. The Rovers winger, pretty anonymous for large parts of the game, retaliated to a challenge by Galway captain Billy Clery, who made a bit of a meal of Woods chesting into him.
Seven minutes later, Rovers' mounting frustration turned to glee as they took the lead. A free-kick was awarded for a dubious foul by Mike Quirke on Shane Robinson. Marc Kenny touched the ball to Robinson before firing the return into the bottom corner of the net from 20 yards.
The scores were levelled on the disciplinary front on 84 minutes when Galway defender Tom Silke was sent off for a tackle from behind on Tony Cousins as tempers flared.
Galway, who had enjoyed the better chances and much of the play for long stretches, pressed for their equaliser and it almost came from substitute Michael Harty who twice shot narrowly wide from long range.
But Robinson, Rovers' most industrious player, had the final say to kill off the home side three minutes into stoppage time. The winger skipped by Adrian Carberry down the right before shooting low past Robbie Forde.
As if we hadn't enough condensed action to contend with, Colin Fortune almost gave Galway a goal they deserved seconds later but his powerful shot came back off a post.
In a first half far too even for Rovers liking, Galway had the better chances as they refused to lie down against a side with a remarkably good record at Terryland Park.
With 17 wins and only four defeats from their previous 26 visits, Rovers began brightly before defensive sloppiness almost cost them two goals inside the opening half hour. A rare mistake by Rovers' stalwart defender Pat Scully had his side in trouble for the first time on 12 minutes.
Alan Murphy availed of Scully's slip as he came to deal with Fran Carter's pass. Tony O'Dowd compounded Scully's error by failing to hold Murphy's low, well-struck shot, with Pat Deans getting back to put the ball out for a corner.
A further let-off arrived for Rovers on 24 minutes. O'Dowd stayed on his line as Quirke's long, diagonal ball picked out the run of Aidan Forde in behind Richie Byrne. But Forde's shot somehow flew wide across goal.
Rovers' Seβn Francis was soon to know that feeling at the other end on the half-hour. Woods skipped by Nigel Keady down the left to whip over a perfect cross. Francis arrived unmarked but, in attempting to place his header, glanced it literally inches wide of Robbie Forde's left-hand post.
But Galway regained the initiative to finish the half strongly.
Colin Fortune and Forde set up the lively Murphy whose volley was narrowly wide in first half stoppage time.
Rovers left the field at the break to chants of "what a load of rubbish" from their own fans. Needless to say, they were singing a different tune on 90 minutes.
GALWAY UNITED: R Forde; Keady, Clery, Silke, Carberry; A Forde (Malee 65), Fortune, Carter (Sheridan 42), Quirke; Murphy, O'Shaughnessy (Harty 85).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: O'Dowd; Costello, Scully, Palmer, Byrne; Robinson, Deans, Tracey (Kenny 53), Woods; A Grant (Cousins 77), Francis (Cronin 85).
Referee: J Stacey (Athlone)
