GALWAY UNITED salvaged a valuable home point thanks to a late goal from sub Bobby Burns.
The Tribe had been second best for most of the game at Eamonn Deacy Park, with champions Shelbourne missing a bundle of chances.
The hosts started brightly though, with Stephen Walsh playing Malcolm Shaw in early but his low shot was well covered by Conor Kearns.
At the other end, Seán Boyd did brilliantly to play Mipo Odubeko in — and only a goal-line clearance from Garry Buckley prevented the opening goal.
But Odubeko made up for the miss when he headed home from five yards in the 23th minute.
The goal sparked a response from Galway with Shaw bringing out a save from Kearns. Ed McCarthy should have done better with the rebound.
Rob Slevin then missed with a free header just before the interval.
Shels continued to dominate after the break and Odubeko should have doubled the Dublin side’s lead after brilliant play from Harry Wood.
Boyd did hit the back of the net, but his effort was waved offside.
Odubeko continued to create chances but he could not find a finish.
He had eight shots, but did not trouble Watts too much except for his goal.
It made things more nervous than they needed to be, with United needing one chance to undo all of Shels’ good work.
They nearly did it from a set-piece, but Buckley could not get the connection he wanted.
Yet in the 84th minute second-half sub Burns pounced to fire home after keeper Kearns spilled a cross.
Boyd had one more chance for Shels to claim all three points but dragged his shot just wide as stand-in boss Joey O’Brien was unable to claim a win in his second game in charge since Damien Duff’s departure.
The away side ran out of time and United escaped with a point.
SUN STAR MAN
Harry Wood (Shels)
GALWAY: Watts 7; Esua 7, Buckley 8, Brouder 6 (Borden 45, 6), Slevin 7, Cunningham 6 (Burns 57, 7); Hurley 7 (Donelon 81, 5), Byrne 6, McCarthy 6 (McCormack 81, 5, [Horgan 90, 5]); Walsh 7, Shaw 6 (Tollett 72, 7)
SHELBOURNE: Kearns 5; Kelly 6 (Caffrey 62, 7), Gannon 8, Temple 7, Ledwidge 7, Norris 7 (Wilson 62, 6); Wood 8 (McInroy 62, 7), Lunney 7 (Coyle 75, 6), Chapman 7 (Coote 89, 5); Boyd 8, Odubeko 7.
REFEREE: K O’ Sullivan (Cork) 8.
