KILKENNY City wasted a chance to go top of the First Divison table when they could only manage a scoreless draw at home to Cobh Ramblers on Saturday night. Ominously the result, coupled with Drogheda's 2-2 draw at home to lowly St Francis on Friday night, has allowed pre season favourites Galway United to claw back some ground thanks to their 1-0 defeat of Waterford United at Terryland Park. Galway now join Athlone and Waterford in joint third place.

John Brennan, revitalised, it seems in a less familiar role wide on the right of midfield, got Galway's winner after 62 minutes. Ollie Neary did the donkey work out on the left and Brennan did well to power home a firm header from the bouncing ball Fergal Coleman failed to meet.

Norwegian Trond Debes had fluffed a glorious chance to give Waterford the lead minutes after the restart when blazing over the crossbar from six yards with only Eddie van Boxtel to beat.

Waterford rallied well late on and player manager Tommy Lynch forced the save of the match from van Boxtel with a cracking freekick 16 minutes from time.

Kilkenny, meanwhile, were left to rue two missed first half chances in a generally drab encounter with Cobh before a Buckley Park crowd of over 1,500.

Brendan Rea was unlucky to see a 34th minute header come back off the angle of the Cobh crossbar. Alan Kelly then had a shot cleared off the line by Cobh fullback Tommy Cregoe a minute later.

Second from bottom Monaghan United came from behind to win their second game in succession against sliding Longford Town at Gortakeegan yesterday.