John Caulfield: 'They could see that this is a real honest gutsy team'

John Caulfield shouts instructions during Galway United's 4-0 win over Cobh Ramblers on Saturday, 1 May 2021.

Caulfield's men are unbeaten after four games this season. Credit: Steve Alfred (ETPhotos)

Paul Corcoran reports from Eamonn Deacy Park

Galway United continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win over Treaty United on Monday night.

Having taken a 2 goal lead in the first half, a second half goal from Enda Curran put the home side under pressure for the remainder of the game.

“We made it difficult for ourselves,” Galway Untied manager John Caulfield said, speaking to the press after the game.

“We knew how strong Treaty are. They had Curran up top, we know a lot of the lads, Joe Gorman, Marc Ludden, and their delivery of balls.

“In the first half we started well, Wilson got a good goal, and we were on the front foot, Walsh got a good goal. The second half we knew at half-time just get it back and control the game, we were in total control the second half and then we gifted a goal away.

“We had three glorious chances to kill the game, we didn’t and then you’re hanging on in the 95th minute, these things happen. To be fair to the lads it’s their second game in four days, really tough and Treaty didn’t play the other night and it’s tough because you could see the lads were on their last legs, but our defending was fantastic.

“You admire the grit and determination of these guys because we were in Cork, and we had to defend and tonight we had to defend in the last ten minutes.”

There were a couple of changes to the Tribesmen starting team on Monday night with Wilson Waweru and Stephen Walsh both starting ahead of Jordan Adeyemo and Manu Dimas. Both strikers scored on Monday night too and interestingly Dimas came on for Waweru in the 66th minute only to be replaced 20 minutes later by Charlie Lyons.

“We knew that Treaty are really strong defensively, very solid at set pieces with the long throws and corners. The lads have come in to give us a bit of energy in Bray and we felt that tonight form the start we needed to impose ourselves on Treaty and I felt the two lads did very well,” Caulfield explained.



“It was a tactical decision we felt that the game had opened up and it might suit him (Dimas), but I think sometimes when you’re looking in and you come into a game sometimes there’s an intensity and a pace to the game and I just felt it was difficult for him to get there.

“Plus, the fact that they had thrown on Red Hanlon and more or less gone four up front and it was nearly man for man and we just felt with Charlie Lyons coming in to give us a bit of height to deal with their frees and that at the end. Manu is a really good player it was just a tactical change.”

Galway United’s start is one of their best ever but Caulfield , while full of praise for his team, isn’t getting carried away at this stage of the season.

“We know that this league is so tough and every game you have to be on it. We missed the first round, and we were always starting a game behind everyone.

“After four games We’ve shown the potential that we have but we have a lot to work on and we have to get much better.

“They’re a really good bunch, really dedicated, good honesty about them and they train really had and give everything. I think that’s what our supporters could see tonight and a massive noise coming from the crowd in the last ten minutes urging the lads on.



“They could see that this is a real honest gutsy team and four games in a long way to go but certainly we’re happy that we’re up somewhere near the top.”