League Preview: Galway United -v- Cabinteely

GALWAY UNITED

United truly head into the unknown on Friday night when they come face to face with Cabinteely, a team they have never faced in competitive competition.

Galway have done well so far this season, recording a convincing 4-1 win over Athlone Town on the opening night before being held to a 1-1 draw away to an impressive UCD team.

Cabinteely have lost their opening two games by a single goal and Shane Keegan is warning his players against complacency when Cabo come to visit.

“The thing that I was hammering home to the players is, Cabinteely are a team that have lacked the rub of the green over their two opening games, rather than playing poorly in them,” he told the club’s website.

“It makes them dangerous opposition for us, they’re desperate to get points on the board. That bit of luck that might’ve alluded them is possibly due to swing around soon, so it really is important that our players don’t think that we’re facing a team who are struggling. We’ve got to be at our best, or it will be a serious banana skin for us.

“When you have aspirations of trying to win this division or attain promotion, realistically you’re looking to try and win every home game. You’re going into your home games with a level of expectation of delivering a performance and the three points.

“Hopefully the Cabinteely game will be no different. If we can get a regular big crowd behind us at home, it’s definitely a big help to us.

“We gave our supporters four goals in our last home game and even if it wasn’t our greatest performance, hopefully the vast majority of them will return for the Cabinteely game and if we can deliver once again, winning becomes a habit.”

In terms of team news, defender Robbie Williams is a doubt for Friday night’s game after he missed last week’s trip to the UCD Bowl with a calf problem. Conor Melody has returned to training following a knee injury and is available for selection for the first time this season.

CABINTEELY

Cabinteely are a team many have tipped to do quite well this season after improving each season since they entered the League of Ireland in 2015.

The 2018 season hasn’t been kind to the South Dublin side however and they have lost both of their opening games on 1-0 score lines against Wexford and Cobh Ramblers.

By all accounts this is a side that could be somewhat out of luck however, last week Pat Devlin’s side dominated Ramblers for large periods of the game but couldn’t find an answer to Adam O’Sullivan’s goal on the half hour mark.

To sum up their plight, Cabo’s star player and 2017’s First Division Player of the Year, Kieran ‘Marty’ Waters had a penalty saved by Paul Hunt in the Cobh net last Friday night leaving the side coming into this week’s game not only having lost their opening games but having failed to score in both games also.

Cabo will surely be desperate to rectify that situation against Galway United.

Referee: Garvin Taggart

MATCH STATS

This game will be the first ever competitive meeting between Galway United and Cabinteely.

Cabinteely have failed to score in their opening two games of the season.

After last week’s game against UCD, Galway’s Danny Furlong is still the top scorer in this season’s First Division so far with 4 goals.

BETTING

Galway United 4/6; Draw 13/5; Cabinteely 4/1.

PREDICTION

Galway United 2-1 Cabinteely

Galway United

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Robbie Williams.

Suspended: None.

Cabinteely

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.