Struggling SD Galway back in Drom for the visit of Wexford men

Date Published: 05-Jul-2012

STEPHEN GLENNON

SD Galway will look to make a nostalgic return to Drom for their Airtricity First Division clash against Wexford Youths tomorrow evening (Saturday). Kick-off 7pm.

With Terryland Park undergoing repair work, Tony Mannion’s side return to their spiritual home and they will hope this will give them some advantage in their search for just the club’s second victory of the season.

Midfielder Mike Tierney, foot, and forward Enda Curran, who was forced to retire with a quad injury in the 2-0 away defeat to Athlone Town last weekend, are both doubtful for Saturday tie while Gerry Dolan is also in a race to be fit after picking up a knock in training.

On a more positive note, Damien O’Reilly is back in harness after a lengthy lay-off with a shoulder injury while former Galway United winger David Cooke is also in contention for game-time after recovering from a hamstring injury. 

Reflecting on the loss to Athlone Town last weekend, SD manager Tony Mannion says his players have to stay focused on their respective tasks and not be making silly mistakes, which, inevitably, have led to the concession of too many soft goals this season.

“We did okay for 20 minutes and there was nothing in it. Then, Athlone scored, or rather we gave away a soft goal – we have been giving away soft goals all season – and they got another one shortly after. We really struggled after that until half-time. However, in the second half, we absolutely bombarded them. We hit the bar, we hit the inside of the post, we had a couple of chances cleared off the line and we missed chances.

“That, though, has been the story of our season. We give away a soft goal and then we start to play . . . and we do play really well after it. So, it is that tentative approach that is killing us; it is almost as if we are waiting for the soft goal to go in before we start to play. I think, though, that may just come down to a lack of confidence.”

In many respects, SD Galway are caught between a rock and a hard place. If they become more adventurous by having a go from the outset, there is the distinct possibility of conceding early. On the other hand, when they try to keep it tight at the back, they, too often, have been punished for making the “silly mistakes”.

“So, I don’t know, but when we have played we have shown we can put it up to teams,” says Mannion. “Our second-half performance against Athlone was terrific. We just tore into them and we created numerous chances. The second half was really exciting and it was just frustrating that we did not get anything out of it.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.