United's unbeaten home run under pressure

This evening's Terryland Park joust between Galway United and Finn Harps should not be short of intrigue as the westerners strive to maintain an extraordinary unbeaten home league sequence against the title chasing Donegal outfit (7.30pm).

A vibrant Harps return to Galway with a purposeful spring in their step as they continue their bid for a league title. Having pilfered four points out of a possible six against the Tribesmen, Harps will certainly not be short on confidence. Paddy McGrenaghan and Tom Mohan provided Colin Fortune and John Russell with a testing tutorial in the finer arts of midfield play in Terryland Park last April. Though teenager Russell pinched a scarcely merited late equaliser for United that evening, the breadth of Harps’ play deserved to be rewarded with three points.

Harps possess a wealth of experienced Eircom League exponents. Former United right full Declan Boyle, Shane Bradley, Jon Minnock, and the prolific Kevin McHugh deserve to be operating at a more elevated level. Though the true measure of their worth will not be gauged until next season or beyond, the Donegal club will relish its return to the higher echelons of the domestic game.

The short term challenge for United is to show an abundance of unity and resilience. Last Friday's narrow victory against an erratic Cobh Ramblers was pleasing, but there are still too many flaws for United to be serious promotion contenders. The previous week in Belfield was a stark reminder of the club's stagnation. While tension dominated the early part of that game, United were eventually swept away in the closing stages.

Absolute focus for every match is an impossibility, but United must string some neat performances together in the remaining league fixtures. Mannion's charges are certainly capable of this, but when the pertinent questions were posed in critical games, United's players failed to summon the requisite answers. Had United been more efficient away from Terryland Park during 2004, the club might still harbour serious promotion aspirations.

The aforementioned Harps fixture last April, being blitzed twice in Belfield, and shoddy performances in winnable games on the road ensure United will experience another testing season in unforgiving first division grounds throughout the country.

With a large travelling contingent expected from Donegal, the portents point towards an enjoyable evening. With Harps both electric and efficient throughout the campaign, United will be under extreme pressure to extend their extraordinary 15 game unbeaten home league sequence.