FROM GALWAY UNITEDS WEBSITE:
An 80th minute equaliser by Damien Dupuy maintained United's unbeaten home record. This was a game United could not afford to lose after the league leaders took an 18 minute lead through their top goal scorer Willie Doyle.
It was Willie Doyle who nearly opened the scoring as early as the third minute. Alan Gough blocked his initial shot and Doyle followed up the rebound but headed over the bar. On 15 minutes Alan Gough did well to palm away a powerful Robert McAuley free. Three minutes later UCD took the lead after some disastrous defending by United. First Mick Quirke attemped to see out the ball over the end line, Pat McWalter dispossessed him and sent in a cross, a mix up between Nigel Keady and Alan Gough led to Keady hesitating under the high ball and he hit a weak header back to his keeper who under pressure from Willie Doyle could not hold onto the ball. Doyle managed to hook the ball into the an empty net for a fortunate goal for the away side.
Galway nearly hit back on 18 minutes when a Ryan Casey cross was met by Dupuy at the near post but Neil Gallagher pulled off a good reflex save and diverted the ball for a corner.
On 34 minutes UCD should of doubled their advantage when Michael O'Donnell found himself with time and space on the left of the box, the winger dealt too long on the ball and his shot was blocked. On 41 minutes United nearly levelled after good approach play by Dupuy and Casey led to Quirke crossing for O'Dowd who headed narrowly wide. Two minutes later and Casey again crossed for O'Dowd but his header from the far post landed on the roof of the net.
United struggled to get control of the game in second half as a determined and well organised UCD side were hard to break down. The introduction of Tony Folan and John Russell gave United a much needed lift in the centre.
As the game appeared to be slipping away United got an equaliser on 80 minutes when Folan chipped the ball into Dupuy who held off the close attentions of two defenders and turned sharply and hit a left footed effort into the bottom right hand corner of the net. This was the first goal the French striker scored in Terryland and gave United a deserved share of the points.
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