Galway United -v- Drogheda United

• Alan Dooley
• Mon, Aug 10 2009


Galway United enter a crucial phase of their season when they take on Drogheda United at Terryland Park tomorrow night (kick-off:7.45 pm). Without a game for 12 days since beating Sligo Rovers, Ian Foster's men face the other relegation play-off incumbents with a chance to open up a sizeable gap as their season stumbles along towards a conclusion.

On the same date last year, Galway United had only accumulated 14 points, half their current total, yet the sense of doom and gloom surrounding the club has palpably increased in recent times. Club CEO Nick Leeson hit out at the stay-away fans in the local media this week, hinting once again at the lack of long-term viability for the club. The words precipice and edge spring to mind when listening to the former Bearings Bank employee's pleas for support, but whether this more hard-line stance will see crowds flock back to the Dyke Road venue is hard to gauge.

Local sources berate the introduction of summer soccer as the root of Galway United's ills, as crowds diminish despite the player's best efforts. It is an argument that is hard to argue with, as United battle against both codes of the GAA, a city swamped with summer festivals to turn heads, and a wallet-tightening recession in their efforts to entice punters through the gates.

The great entertainer, Jay O'Shea, has now departed for grasses greener, for less than a quarter of his valuation only six months previously, but the show must go on. The squad left behind showed admirable qualities in defeating their Connacht rivals after being left to battle with 10 men for nearly half the contest.

This win opened up a seven point gap with the bottom three, which remained intact after the weekend's action, so a further three-point haul tomorrow night would leave Foster's men maybe looking up the table toward an improbable fourth or fifth placed finish (who can forget those who saw them finishing bottom). Yet still the Financial Grim Reaper lurks at the door.

Drogheda will arrive full of heart and confidence that they can take something from the game, though, after pushing the top two teams in the country in their previous League sorties. Bohemians needed a last gasp goal to rescue a point from United Park, while Michael O'Neill's troops were also pushed to the pin of their collar before Gary Twigg netted another crucial, late winner.

Alan Mathews has added shrewdly to the Drogheda squad during the transfer window, and will hope Guy Bates can link up with current top scorer, Shane Barrett, to good effect. Barrett did well when these sides last met - a 1-1 draw in Terryland in June - and should profit from having a recognised striker to play alongside, if Mathews reverts back to 4-4-2 having being forced to employ a lone striker for much of the season.

Whether to go all out for a crucial, gap-closing win or play safe and hope to pick up points when Galway invariably slip up in coming weeks is the conundrum Mathews faces. Both games between the sides this term have been tight affairs so a goal-fest is not expected, and with Galway missing the creative influence of the suspended John Russell and Drogheda minus the injured trio of Paul Crowley, Eoghan Osborne, and Robbie Farrell it could well turn out to be a case of "First Goal Wins".

extratime.ie Prediction: Tense scoreless draw.