Having completed the first series of the season with a victory in Kilkenny on Saturday, Galway United host Kildare County next Tuesday in another encounter of a paramount importance in
determining the promotion prospects of both teams.
The teams’ bizarre clash on the opening day of this season saw the Thoroughbreds record a 5-3 success after a baffling game
that mixed sublime attacking moments with some haphazard defending. However Kildare’s greater appetite on that particular
occasion proved sufficient.
Deprived of influential skipper Mark Herrick, much of United’s midfield hopes will rest on the shoulders of the inimitable
Colin Fortune and the beguiling skills of Tony Folan, who may now assume a central berth on a more regular basis. With the likes
of Kevin Walsh and Alan Quinlan also pushing for inclusion, the Westerners have sufficient options to cope with the unfortunate
loss of Herrick.
With Irish underage striker Mark Ronaldson in awesome goalscoring form for the club’s u-21 side, the Shrule striker is
primed to feature in the first team over the coming weeks. Indeed Mannion’s men are unbeaten in the league since the Station Road debacle, and the United supremo will be keen that his charges can extend this sequence to an impressive 11 games.
However United’s recent penchant for drawing winnable games has been an unfortunate feature of the campaign thus far.
A win against Dermot Keely’s side would erase some of the catastrophic reversals that have happened on the Dyke Road this season. Five Terryland Park encounters have seen United assume advantages only to be pegged back for draws.
Always eager to take maximum advantage of hosting a game, Mannion enters next week’s clash protecting a proud unbeaten
record in the western capital that dates as far back as last September.
While the Thoroughbreds will travel to Terryland with serious premier division aspirations, a home victory would leave Mannion’s side very much in contention at the business end of
the Eircom League table.
28/06/2003, 8:22 AM
Estar
United Need To Inject Momentum
Undefeated since succumbing to Kildare in Station Road on the opening day, Tony Mannion’s side has acquired a reputation as the draw specialists with eight of the 10 games culminating in stalemates.
A victory over the progressive Leinster club would inject the United cause with momentum that has been lacking thus far.
Should Galway United manage to condemn high flying Kildare County to a second consecutive Eircom League defeat, Tony
Mannion’s side would move to within three points of Keely’s Thoroughbreds.
With two wins and a draw from their past five league encounters, there has been a sense of the erratic about Kildare and Keely
will be keen on reinvigorating his team’s promotion prospects with a victory in Terryland Park. The Dyke Road venue has
lacked the sense of occasion that was cultivated in the games towards the conclusion of last season. One such memorable game in United’s run-in was the clash with Kildare when Mannion’s men battled courageously to notch a victory following a tempestuous encounter.
United, who took a week’s rest from training, will be forced to line out with an altered team on Tuesday as Mark Herrick’s nfortunate leg injury will rob the team of one of its more experienced players. However much optimism surrounds the recent performances of Kevin Walsh and Alan Quinlan, and with
recent acquisition Adrian Carberry also primed to feature, the United management will not be short of options, particularly considering the versatility of so many players in the squad.
United followers will have drawn much inspiration from the enduring brilliance of Alan Murphy whose nine league goals in the
opening 11 games have marked him out as a precocious talent. Should the Ballinrobe striker add further goals to his rapidly burgeoning collection, it remains to be seen how long a player of his standing will feature in the Eircom League. Dave Goldbey and Barry Moran are both in line to partner the effervescent Murphy,
and Goldbey’s return to prominence over the past number of weeks has strengthened the club’s forward division. The splendid Moran has been troubled with an ankle injury and Galway United will be protecting a 10 game unbeaten sequence when hosting Kildare County in a critical Eircom League first division tie in Terryland Park next Tuesday.
02/07/2003, 8:55 AM
Countyman
Excellent result in Terryland last night!!!!
I thought we wouldn't get anything out of this game considering our injuries and suspensions.
I wonder how we played.....to be honest I dont care. 3 more points. Big game against Harps on Saturday.
