Aodh Dervin was Longford Town's local hero as he capped a man-of-the-match display with a cracking goal at the UCD Bowl to seal their passage through to the promotion/relegation play-off final.
Daire Doyle’s Midlanders will now meet the side that finishes second bottom of the Premier Division next Saturday night at a venue to be confirmed to decide which of them plays in the top flight next year.
Town, unchanged from their dramatic extra-time win at the same venue against UCD last week, enjoyed plenty of the ball early on.
And it was no surprise that it was Galway’s Micheal Schlingermann who was the first keeper to see action seven minutes in.
Town’s Aaron McNally cut in off the left flank to strike a stinging drive that Schlingermann had to parry before gathering.
Town maintained the pressure with the frame of the Galway goal depriving them of a 15th minute lead.
Defender Mick McDonnell set up Dylan Grimes whose stunning right-footer cannoned back out from the angle of the crossbar and post before being cleared.
Displaying no little confidence, Town midfielder Dervin then struck a shot from all of 40 yards that wasn’t far wide of Schlingermann’s left-hand post.
In for the suspended Stephen Christopher in their only change from beating Bray Wanderers in their semi-final, Mikey Place had the first sight of the Longford goal on 22 minutes.
But the right winger’s flick header from a Timmy Molloy free kick scarcely troubled Lee Steacy in the Town goal.
It was Longford who remained the better side, though, fully deserving of their lead when it arrived on 43 minutes.
A fine passing move saw the ball worked to Rob Manley who in turn spread it wide left to McNally.
The winger’s cross took a slight deflection to flummox Schlingermann - who fumbled the ball through his hands to give midfielder Karl Chambers a simple tap-in.
Galway made two changes ahead of the restart with Conor Barry and Wilson Waweru replacing Timmy Molloy and Enda Curran.
And though Galway saw more of the ball, John Caulfield’s side laboured to create openings.
Barry did have a sniff of goal four minutes in, but dragged his shot tamely wide.
As Galway worked to up the tempo, midfielder Sam Warde had a pop from distance on 73 minutes that whizzed over Steacy’s crossbar.
Skipper Shane Duggan might then have done better when failing to get hold of his shot which was easy for Steacy.
But Longford kept their shape well with Dervin striking to seal it on 81 minutes.
Collecting Grimes’ pass, the Town ace took a touch before unleashing a right-foot shot from some 30 yards that bounced in front of the diving Schlingermann to enter the corner of his net.
Galway got a goal back on 88 minute when Steacy’s punch from Duggan’s diagonal ball into the Town area struck the head of Killian Brouder to enter the net but it was too little too late for John Caulfield's side.
