First Division round-up: Galway's lead remains impregnable

Galway United inched closer to being mathematically assured of promotion after dispatching Cobh Ramblers 4-1 in Eamonn Deacy Park tonight.

The league leaders went in front shortly after the half hour mark, Wassim Aouachria finding the net. However, they received a nasty shock a few minutes later when Jack Doherty equalised to leave the sides deadlocked at the break.

Any notion of Cobh stealing an unlikely point was firmly scotched after the break, Vince Borden scoring following the restart, with David Hurley sealing the victory with a brace, as he had done in their 5-1 Cup hammering of UCD.

With eight games remaining, John Caulfield's side lead by a whopping 16 points. While Waterford boast a game in hand, the prospect of them overhauling the westerners is effectively non-existent.

Wateford did at least keep the gap at 16, digging out a 1-0 win away to Bray Wanderers in the Carlisle Grounds.

Cameron Cresswell was both hero and villain in his half hour on the pitch, scoring the game's only goal after from the penalty spot after four minutes.

FIRST DIVISION TABLE

He subsequently received a yellow card and on 33 minutes, went down in the area appealing for another penalty. The ref refused it and brandished another yellow, ending the Englishman's evening. Luckily for Waterford, the scoring had also ended and they secured another three points.

Athlone Town, in fourth place, failed to take advantage of Cobh's defeat and leap to third, slumping to a 2-0 home loss to Wexford FC.

Goals either side of half-time from Darragh Levingston and Thomas Oluwa gave Wexford a crucial win, keeping them four points clear of the chasers in the final playoff spot.

Longford Town are their nearest challenger, jumping to sixth after a 1-0 win away to Fin