Tribesmen get break from league struggles in FAI Cup tie against St Patrick’s Athletic
WHEN Shane Keegan left the sunny southeast for the rainy West of Ireland, there was no way the Laois native could have known how much decisions out of his control would affect his time here.
Following another example of a refereeing decision going against Galway United on Friday night, where Roberto Lopes wasn’t sent off for a deliberate handball, the normally cool Keegan felt he needed to vent his frustrations on how these poor calls could cost him and the club dearly.
“It’s the club’s future at stake. It’s my future at stake. Decisions like that are going to cost clubs potentially their position in this division. Players potentially losing their livelihoods as well. That’s not good enough.”
“The Ger Doherty one made its way onto TV and nobody could understand how in God’s name he hadn’t been sent off. The Marc Ludden one here against Dundalk the week before last is one of the tackles of the season and it’s given as a penalty. And then that one (Lopes). Three unbelievably poor decisions against one team in a season.”
Despite the situation he finds himself in, the former Wexford Youths manager had nothing but praise for his players, feeling all they were missing was a sense of self belief in their own ability.
“That group of players don’t lack for much. There’s quality in the dressing room. There is unbelievable work rate and character, but if anything is missing it’s just that extra ounce of self-belief in ourselves. We need to fully believe that we can get the job done.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.