United eyes now on play-off after loss

Galway United 1

UCD 4

Keith Kelly

There are real fears the very future of Galway United is now hanging by a thread after another heavy defeat on Saturday night as good as consigned Sean Connor’s side to a relegation play-off with three games of the season still remaining.

UCD came to town four points clear of United in the table, and the Tribesmen needed to win to give themselves a chance of avoiding the play-off, which is likely to be against Bray Wanderers. Instead it was the visitors who all but guaranteed their Premier Division survival, making the most of another shocking defensive display to match their record win at the venue, having also recorded a 4-1 win in October 2000.While United’s defensive frailties

were again a cause of concern – that is 16 goals conceded in their last four games – it was the fight in the players, or rather, the lack of it, which was the most disappointing aspect of the night, a point commented on by Connor after the game.

“Some of the players seemed to throw in the towel out there, and that is very worrying. The season is taking its toll on us as we have such a small squad, and if you take two players out of my starting XI, we’ll struggle.

“We have to address that reaction. As far as I’m concerned, we are now in the play-off, and we have to plan for that. I don’t care about the league at this stage, the remaining games don’t matter to me as I’ve got to rest players, unfortunately.

“I will give the young lads a run and protect my better players before that. We are now looking at getting a win in Drogheda on the last day of the season to give us a lift before we meet Bray in the play-off, that is what the focus is on now,” Connor said.

In fairness, his hands are tied in some respects, as Barry Ryan is expected to be suspended for the game with Sporting Fingal this weekend; both Karl Sheppard and Stephen Walshe are due bans for the visit of Bohemians in two weeks’ time; while Stephen O’Donnell is expected to be admitted to hospital this week for surgery on a knee injury he picked up back in March, ruling him out for two weeks.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.