Colin Healy rues Cork City's missed opportunity against 10-man Galway United

Cork City manager Colin Healy felt his side missed a golden opportunity to tighten their grip on the SSE Airtricity League promotion race after a scoreless stalemate against 10-man Galway United.

Cork remain top of the First Division, one point clear of Galway, with a game in hand.

But speaking to RTÉ Sport after Friday's match at a packed out Turner's Cross, Healy rued the fact that his side could not make their numerical advantage count after Galway's Ed McCarthy was shown a straight red card in the first half.

"It was a difficult night. They went down to 10 men earlier on and we didn't make the most of it," he said.

"That's probably down to ourselves. We kept the ball as well as we could. We had a few chances in the second half but they were probably half chances. Galway defended well but we didn't make the most of it."

The match also saw Louis Britton make his Cork City debut as a substitute. The striker, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Waterford, has signed permanently from Bristol City.

"I just felt like because Louis is very good in the air and if you're going up against a low block and there are crosses coming in from wide areas, then obviously because of Louis' height and ability to go and attack the ball, it would have to be a change we would have to make," Healy said of the six-foot-four target man.

Galway United manager John Caulfield felt his side started the game well and was unhappy with the awarding of the red card to McCarthy who was adjudged to have kicked out at Cian Bargary as he looked to lead a counter-attack.

"We were really dominant and enjoying the occasion and the sending off is a yellow card - the linesman, the fourth official say it's a yellow card (but) the referee sees red," said