United bid to avoid equalling league record for successive defeats

GALWAY United will be bidding to avoid yet another piece of unwanted history tonight when they host Derry City in Terryland Park (kick-off 7.45pm) in the Airtricity League Premier Division.

The United squad return after the mid-season break knowing defeat tonight will set them match a League of Ireland record for most consecutive losses, which was set in the 1994/95 season by Kilkenny City, who lost each of their first 19 games in the First Division.

United’s defeat at the hands of Drogheda United two weeks ago was their 18th consecutive loss in the league this season, and having already lost 1-4 and 0-6 to the Candystripes this season, it would take a brave – or foolish – man to bet on United taking anything from tonight’s game.

The match is also the club’s first since the supporter-run Management Committee unanimously backed a motion of no confidence in manager Sean Connor since that defeat to Drogheda, but that issue has not progressed with the club’s four-man Board of Directors still not having commented on the stance taken by the MC, while Connor insists he is staying put.

He is continuing to bring in new faces, with South Koreans Yob Son and Jimlu Kim having made their debuts against Drogheda, and another new signing, central-defender Laurence Gaughan, is expected to go straight into the side tonight in place of Son, who was sent off on his debut and serves an automatic one-match ban tonight.

Gaughan (21) is a former Republic of Ireland U-19 international and includes Oxford United, Glasgow Celtic, Liverpool and Sheffield United amongst his previous clubs.

Eduardo Dusi and Mikey Gilmore also return to the squad for tonight’s game, having served one-match bans before the season break, and Gilmore could be joined by a former Salthill Devon team-mate of his, with United believed to be nearing agreement on signing Victor Collins.

See full preview in City Tribune Sport.