United look for balancing act heading into play-offs
Galway United manager John Caulfield is set to test his balancing skills in the coming weeks as he prepares for what has become a condensed fixture list for the opening stages of the promotion play-offs.
With the four sides that will contest the First Division play-offs all but confirmed – Bray Wanderers need just one point from their final three games to secure the fourth and final spot – the FAI have gone against tradition and actually planned for the future.
The Republic of Ireland’s U-21s have a UEFA Championship qualifier at home to Italy on Friday November 12, so to protect against postponing league games due to players being called up to that squad, the First Division semi-finals have now been brought forward, with both legs taking place in the same week.
That means that the first-leg of the semi-finals – which will see 2nd play 5th and 3rd play 4th – will be played on Wednesday November 3; with the second leg being played the following Sunday, November 7.
The highest seed in both games will play away from home in the first-leg, and with United currently sitting in second in the table, it looks like they will be away from home on the Wednesday, before hosting the semi-final second leg in Eamonn Deacy Park on the Sunday.
The remainder of the play-offs remain as planned, with the First Division one-leg final set to be played at a neutral venue on the week ending Sunday November 21; before the one-leg promotion/relegation final against the team that finishes 9th in the Premier Division a week later on the week ending Sunday November 28, also at a neutral venue.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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