Galway FC face daunting test against table toppers
A season that started slowly but then evolved to promise so much is in danger of petering out into disappointment for Galway FC as their First Division campaign enters its final quarter tomorrow night with a trip to League leaders, Longford Town (7.30pm).
At the mid-point of the season, Tommy Dunne’s side were just two points off the top of the table and had just knocked Premier Division side UCD out of the FAI Cup – at the mid-point in August they find themselves 14 points off top spot and facing the nightmare Cup draw of an away tie against Premier Division leaders Dundalk next week.
They go in to tomorrow night’s game on the back of successive defeats against Shelbourne and Wexford Youths, results which have seen them slip outside of the promotion play-off spots, although Dunne points out that a top-three finish is still in their own hands.
This weekend’s games see the top four in action against each other, as Wexford Youths – just a point ahead of Galway FC – host second-placed Shelbourne tonight, and Dunne says there is still a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season.
“Getting the play-off spot is still in our own hands, there are seven games to go but we need to tighten up at both ends of the pitch, We’re just not taking our chances, and we’re conceding stupid goals so we need to work on both,” he said.
With the season entering the final phase, the last thing the side needs is to chalk up a third successive defeat, both in terms of their play-off aspirations, and the confidence blow it would be ahead of next Friday’s trip to Dundalk in the Cup.
Dunne cut a frustrated figure in Wexford after his side’s 2-1 defeat last Friday night, and his post-match comments suggested he would swing the axe for tomorrow night’s game, but the passage of time would appear to have softened that stance although he does admit there could be one or two changes tomorrow night.
Full preview in this week's City Triubune.