Conor McCormack called time on his career moments after a match that defies words. A brace from former Sligo midfielder Matty Wolfe, the winner a volley that recalled Ronnie Whelan in 1988, decided one of the greatest Connacht derbies imaginable in Salthill.
Ten-man Sligo looked sure to endure a damaging defeat only for Cian Kavanagh to net a sublime brace of his own and leave the home side wondering how they threw this away… or not.
Busy throughout, Frantz Pierrot had the most influential game in his much-anticipated time at United by scoring on 33 minutes and later enticing a crazy challenge from an already-booked Seb Quirke to render Sligo’s task a mountain.
Wolfe had put the hosts two up and seemingly had them home. Yet substitute Kavanagh fashioned a goal that Sligo’s endeavour merited with nine minutes left and his composure was quite something five minutes later to level the tie.
But United could not let this opportunity slip and deep into injury time Wolfe met a David Hurley cross with the most gorgeous left-footed connection perhaps ever seen in the home of Gaelic games in the West.
McCormack, who had a hugely successful career, much of it for John Caulfield, followed old ally Gary Buckley in announcing his retirement after the game, but one wonders had his plan to do so gone awry when United blew a seemingly unassailable advantage.
With Waterford on the rise and Drogheda winning in Dundalk, this game assumed even greater relevance. This defeat puts further pressure on Sligo, though John Russell’s signings of late will give them some hope. They will wonder how they got back into this game and moreso how they lost it.
Pearse Stadium was the venue for this Connacht derby
United have really taken to Pearse Stadium as Terryland’s iconic turf gets upgraded. Next up is Waterford, with Galway showing more here to suggest they have readily gotten over the humbling defeat against Saint Patrick’s last week.
United started brightly in a somewhat disjointed if entertaining opening half. A scramble in the visitors’ box four minutes in resulted in the ball falling to Pierrot, who used his muscle to control and turn, only to drive his effort narrowly wide.
United’s best moment so far came on 13 minutes when Pierrot embarked on a powerful run and squared to Stephen Walsh, who has taken so readily to this place, but his shot was blocked.
Then Quirk worked Dylan Cunha, but the latter, now United’s first choice after Evan Watts returned to Swansea, was not troubled in making a comfortable parry.
The pitch made it difficult to control the ball and, even if tame by the standards of Salthill, there was a swirling breeze in the sunshine. This meant that the ball hung in a tantalising way in the air and, with Sam Sargeant undecided, Pierrot controlled well but saw his shot go over midway through the half.
Things were getting going and a beautiful Pierrot flick helped create an opening for Walsh via a lovely Jimmy Keohane pass, but former United defender Jeannot Esua made a clever block. United kept the pressure on and from a Keohane free, Pierrot headed badly over.
The opener came with ten minutes to go in the half. Keohane and Bolger combined on the right, and, with Bolger’s cross hitting Keohane, the latter ran in pursuit of a lucky opportunity; he stabbed the ball into the box and Pierrot prodded home at the near post, with Sligo defending distinctly unconvincing.
Ryan O’Kane probed sporadically and he could have managed a better effort as the first half was about to expire, Cunha untroubled.
What hope Sligo had became remote just eight minutes into the second half. Already on a yellow, Quirk needlessly hacked down Pierrot near the centre circle; United were now a goal and a man up and could only sense a comfortable – and seismic – victory.
Sargeant was under pressure from the wind, Pierrot and Sligo’s predicament on the hour mark. Pierrot blocked, had an open goal but the ball hung in the air and Sargeant made a save with his feet. Walsh teed up Bolger, only for Esua to make a despairing challenge to keep Rovers in it.
Quite the drama on 72 minutes. Will Fitzgerald’s throw eventually bounced towards the back post and half-time substitute Kavanagh thought he had the visitors level, but Cunha rallied to the United cause and made a brilliant block.
The ball broke to Wolfe and he pretty much ran from the edge of the box, decided against squaring the ball when the opportunity arose and calmly slid the ball beyond Sargeant to effectively call time on the contest it seemed – scoring, no less, against his former club.
Sligo kept at it and Killian Brouder made an assured block in a goalmouth scramble on 76 minutes.
Jamie McGonagle could be a huge addition for Sligo. He played Kavanagh through on 81 minutes and the big man never looked like missing.
Incredibly, Sligo were level on 86 minutes. McGonagle, signed only this past week, found Kavanagh and his control of the ball was top-class before he gave Cunha no chance.
The Sligo fans on the terraces opposite the main stand were running towards the pitch as if escaping a landslide. Only now did Galway rally, with Walsh looking sure to score after lobbing Sargeant but the ball hit the bar.
In the last minute of normal time, the ball fell to Keohane who blazed over. How big this point for Sligo, and the loss of two for United?
Wolfe would make sure this epic had a conclusion to befit all that had befallen, his connection to the Hurley cross befitting a World Cup moment of the ages.
Galway United: Cunha; Barratt (Piesold 80), Williams, Brouder, Facchineri (Kavanagh ); Hurley, Bolger (McCormack 80), Keohane; McCarthy (Devitt); Pierrot (Wolfe), Walsh.
Sligo Rovers: Sargeant; Esua, McHale, McElroy, Stewart (Denham 61); O’Kane (Harkin 61), Quirk, McHugh, Fitzgerald; Meekison (Kavanagh 46), Pearce (McGonagle 46).