Galway United 2-2 Salthill/Devon (Galway win 5-3 on penalties.)

A-Championship side Salthill Devon came to Terryland in hope of a shock victory over Premier Division side Galway United.
United, not surprisingly, forged ahead with goals from Jay O'Shea and Declan Edwards. The top flight team faced an unecessary scare as they allowed Enda Dunne and Marcen Maranck to pull the non-leaguers back into the game.

The Tribesmen dominated the early stages of the contest. It took seven minutes for United to pull ahead. U-21 Irish international Jay O'Shea curled a free-kick into the net, leaving keeper Marty Mannion transfixed as he failed to intercept the ambitious attempt.

On 26 minutes, vice-captain John Russell's presence was felt as his header played Iarfhlaith Daveren through, who cooly knocked it passed Mannion towards the goal but before he could celebrate, Edwards added a touch which gave him a tally of two for the season after his wiinner in Drogheda last Friday.

United nearly made it three before the break when Paul Sinnott glanced a header from a corner off the crossbar. 

Galway United were in cruise control at the break. O'Shea, Russell and Daveron came off soon after. The game was entering the final twenty minutes and United's football became stale and sloppy. They paid for this lack of consistancy when multiple mistakes in the Galway defence was finished off by substitute Enda Dunne on 73 minutes. A glimmer of hope for the small number of Salthill fans who watched.

The Tribal defence obviously didn't learn their lesson, as more careless defending left Marcen Maranck to slot his effort into the top corner passed school boy 'keeper Ger Hanley on 79 minutes.

Extra-time followed. United suffered more scares but dealt with these carefully. Salthill's defence was attacked from set pieces on many occasions in the final period of extra-time. Devon's Sean Murphy went close with a long range free-kick for the underdogs. The A-Championship outfit were reduced to ten when Ryan O'Donnell was sent off for a second bookable offence. However, Salthill held on in the final few minutes of extra-time.

The game was settled on penalties. A crowd gathered round the goals as Galway United converted five while Ray Winters had his penalty saved by young Hanley. The game finished 5-3 in penalties in favour of United.

Galway United will go on to face Derry City at home, and attempt to beat the Northerners for the first time since 2007.

Galway United: Ger Hanley, Niall Walsh, Shane Guthrie, Paul Sinnott, Mark O'Toole; Jay O'Shea (David Cooke, 63, John Russell (Michael McGrath, 63), Alan Murphy, Iarfhlaith Davoren (Sean Kelly, 63); Declan Edwards, Jason Molloy.

Salthill Devon: Marty Mannion, Ray Winters, Gearoid O'Leidhin, Sean Murphy, James Whelan, Ryan O'Donnell, Adrian Gregg (Enda Dunne, 61), Robbie Porter, Marcen Maranck, Mikey Gilmore, Shane Browne

Referee: P. Sutton