League Preview: Bray Wanderers -v- Galway United

Galway United are the visitors to Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds as both sides look to bounce back from recent disappointments by collecting three points this Saturday the 24th. Kick-off is 5.45pm.

BRAY WANDERERS

Bray have seen plenty of changes under Maciej Tarnogrodzki, as they have gone from scoring no goals and having no points from their opening five league games to scoring seven goals and getting six points in his first two. But all eyes are back on Bray as those scoreless days are in danger of returning with the Seagulls failing to find the net in their last two outings, including last Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers.

Tarnogrodzki spoke to Extratime.ie’s Sportscast about the match and he said that the players were “disappointed with the goals we conceded” against Rovers and he said he understood as he felt “we were quite solid from corners and set pieces in the previous games so to concede from those and crosses was a big disappointment.” You can listen to that full interview here.

Galway United will see the Wanderers return to an opponent who are more closely situated to them in the table and the Bray manager pointed out that his side was a “work in progress from the perspective of the way we want to play,” but he added that he was happy with his first four games in charge, saying, “it’s good to have those seven points after five defeats at the beginning of the season.”

As Bray hope to pick up a third win in a row against a West Coast team, Jack Memery will be missing out due to a broken finger while Adam Hanlon is a doubt to make the squad.

GALWAY UNITED

Galway will be viewing this game as a massive six-pointer. They currently lie in eleventh place with six points from nine games, and although some would say it’s early days, there is a danger of the Maroons being marooned at the bottom end of the table. Saying that though, they are only three points off seventh place Longford Town and a victory would see them overleap their opponents Bray, who sit on seven points.

The Galwegians picked up their second win of the season last weekend, beating basement side Limerick 3-2, before Dundalk ran out 3-0 winners over them in Monday’s game. Galway manager Tommy Dunne told www.galwayunitedfc.ie that he was “hoping we can pick up the right result in Bray on Saturday,” before adding that he thought, “we’re capable of doing it but we'll need to perform on the day.”

Away from home is really where Galway have struggled so far this season, losing four out of four and they have scored no goals on their travels in response to conceding ten. Dunne wants to turn this around against Bray and said, "We know we've got to work hard and be tuned in from the start, we need to make the right decisions.”

Jason Molloy, Andy O’Connell and Killian Cantwell are still long term absentees for Galway and they will be missing the match against the Seasiders.

Referee:Paul McLaughlin

MATCH STATS

While Bray have lost four out of five games at home this season, Galway have lost all four of their away games so far this season.

David Cassidy is Bray’s top goalscorer this season, scoring four out of their seven goals while Enda Curran has notched up three of Galway’s six.

In the opening nine league games, Bray have picked up seventeen yellow cards and two reds. While Galway have only picked up sixteen yellow cards in the same amount of games but it is worth nothing that they have received four red cards.

BETTING

Bray Wanderers 8/5; Draw 9/4; Finn Harps 13/8.

PREDICTION

Bray 2 - 2 Galway

Bray Wanderers

Injured: Jack Memery.

Doubtful: Adam Hanlon.

Suspended:None.

Galway United

Injured:Killian Cantwell, Jason Molloy, Andy O’Connell.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.