Galway boss John Caulfield unhappy with late Shamrock Rovers winner

Galway United manager John Caulfield bemoaned a late own goal that saw his side lose 2-1 to Shamrock Rovers, but he was left feeling hard done by, claiming United should have had a free-kick in the build-up to the winner.

Marc McNulty gave Rovers the early lead, scoring his first goal for the club, before Galway captain Conor McCormack levelled from the penalty spot soon after, following a Daniel Cleary handball.

The game remained level until the 84th minute when Buckley chased down a long ball out of the Rovers defence and, under pressure from Johnny Kenny, fluffed his attempt to clear behind for a corner and looped it up and over the goalkeeper and into his own net.

Caulfield claimed afterwards that there was a foul in front of the referee in the build-up to the goal as Aidan McCarthy went down under a challenge from Cleary, just before the ball was launched forward for what proved to be the winner.

"You know, you have to admire the quality of Rovers," the Galway manager said afterwards. "They're a really top team and they're brilliant players to be fair to them. Look at them in the group stage of Europe.

"But on a night like this you have to hope that some decisions go for you and tonight, a lot of them we thought they didn't.

"We felt they didn't in that crucial part of the second half when the game was let run, and certainly the challenge at the end, we felt it was possibly a free.

"But look, you, move on and we have a massive game again on Friday night."

For Rovers, the win keeps alive their faint hopes of retaining the league title. With seven games to go, they sit eight points behind league leaders Shelbourne and four off second-placed Derry.

The Hoops travel to the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Friday for a crucial game,