United looking to end 14-year barren run at the Showgrounds

Keith Kelly

Galway United will be looking to bridge a gap of 14 years when they travel to the Showgrounds tomorrow night to take on Sligo Rovers in the Airtricity Premier Division (kick-off 8pm).

You have to go all the way back to March 16, 1996, for the time last time United won a league game at the home of their Connacht rivals, when goals from Mark Herrick and Jumbo Brennan sealed a 2-0 win. United have drawn five and lost eight of their 13 visits in the league since then, and that March win in the mid ‘90s is one of just three wins at the venue in 30 games.

That doesn’t bode well for United this weekend, but Sean Connor’s side go into the game on the back of a confidence-boosting win over Bray Wanderers last weekend, and the visitors will quietly fancy their chances of getting that elusive win, especially if they can repeat their first-half performance from last Friday.

New striker Karl Sheppard opened his United account with a typical poacher’s goal from two yards on Friday, but he offers far more than that, and his pace last Friday caused the Bray Wanderers defence all sorts of trouble.

Connor had said that, with Alan Murphy out injured, he had yet to find the ideal partner for Sheppard up front, but that may have changed after United yesterday confirmed the signing of Anto Flood, and he is likely to go straight into the side alongisde Sheppard tomorrow night. 

Paul Cook’s side are tipped by many as darkhorses for the league this season, but they have drawn their two games to date this season and are already four points off the pace. They opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to a Shamrock Rovers side missing the goalscoring threat of Gary Twigg, and followed that up with a 1-1 draw against Sporting Fingal in the Morton Stadium last weekend.

Matthew Blinkhorn and Padraig Amond will be a threat up front, especially given the way United have defended in their first two games of the season, but for the first time in quite a while, the Tribesmen should travel up the N17 in confidence.

Stephen O’Donnell returns from suspension, and with Gary Curran likely to start alongside him, they should rule the midfield exchanges over Richie Ryan and Danny Ventre. Derek O’Brien and Bobby Ryan offer a real threat on the wings, and Connor is likely to demand that his midfield put the ball in behind the Sligo full-backs of Paul Whelan and Iarflaith Davoren, who while dangerous in attack, is vulnerable when the ball is put in behind him.

When asked after the Bray match what would constitute a good result in the Showgrounds, Connor said “not to be beaten” and the fact that, Murphy aside, he has a full squad to choose from means he will be able to field a strong side.

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