Third time lucky?
Galway FC will hope it is a case of third time lucky when they host Shamrock Rovers B in Eamonn Deacy Park tonight (7.45pm), looking to register a first win of the season at the third time of asking.
Tommy Dunne’s side got off the mark last week when claiming their first point of the season in the scoreless draw away to Waterford United, but the manager said that would count for little if his side didn’t follow it up with a win against the Hoops tonight.
Despite failing to score in their opening two games, the home side will be expected to win tonight against a side that lost 3-0 at home to Finn Harps last Sunday which, along with an opening night 1-1 draw with Cobh Ramblers, sees them prop up the table at this early stage of the season.
However, Dunne is warning against any suggestion tonight’s game will be anything resembling a formality, saying that the scoreline was a harsh reflection on a Shamrock Rovers side managed by Bushypark native, Colin Hawkins.
“There is no way they were three goals worse than Finn Harps last Sunday, a couple of the goals were down to mistakes by some of their younger players. You don’t know what you will get with Rovers, it could be a mix of youth and experience, or a very young side.
“They have plenty of experience in their side – Corie Treacy, Chris Lyons and Kevin Knight have all played in the Premier Division; Daniel Purdy has been around a bit; and Conor O’Malley, the goalkeeper who played with Mervue, is to come back into the side, so it will be a tough game,” he said.
Speaking after the draw away to Waterford United last week, Dunne praised the character shown by his side to battle to a hard-earned point, saying it showed a different side to his players.
“We spoke at half-time, it wasn’t a game for pretty stuff as regards playing as the pitch didn’t allow for it – it is a tight pitch at the best of times, but the surface was very poor, the ball was bobbling and bouncing around, so we decided to go and compete and battle.
“It showed a different side to our team, that we are prepared to battle – I don’t think we won the battle against Longford, but I think we may have shaded it against Waterford, sometimes you have to realise you can’t play the way you want to play, often away from home and at a tough ground, you find the character in your team and that was the case in Waterford,” he said.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.