Davoren may miss rest of season
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Galway United's Iarfhlaith Davoren has been ruled out for at least a month after suffering a hamstring tear in training in the run up to the clash with St. Patrick's Athletic last week. A qualified physiotherapist, Ian Foster was more than capable of outlining the recovery period for the left sided defender after the win on Friday night.
"I would think it would be 4-6 weeks. Four if we’re lucky, six if we’re not. I won’t rule him out for the season just yet. We’ll see how it settles down. He’s still very sore today. We’ll look at it over the next few weeks. We won’t give up, we’ll rehab him and get him as right as he can be and see what he’s like", Foster stated.
Davoren's absence will not be his only selection headache in the coming weeks as he tries to maintain the club's position in relative mid-table safety. Following his sending off against Shamrock Rovers, Shane Guthrie will serve a further two game suspension and will be joined on the sidelines by his central defensive partner Garry Breen for the visit of Bray Wanderers. Foster revealed his dissatisfaction at the FAI's disciplinary process that has left him anxiously anticipating the arrival of the official suspensions list to the Terryland offices.
"Shane Guthrie has got a further two game ban for his sending off here against Shamrock Rovers so he will miss the game (v Dundalk) and Bray. It is part and parcel of the game at this stage of the season. I got the suspensions through and the list is as long as my arm.
"I don't agree with the way suspensions are done over here, I don't think four players should be serving suspensions in the same game, not with the way referees issue yellow cards in this country.
"I don't agree with when they come because you just don't know when they are going to come. When you get five yellow cards you should miss the game in seven days time, when you get sent off you should miss the next game.
"I don't think it is rocket science, the FAI need to have a look at it so you know when players are missing. At the moment I am stuck by the fax machine."
Returning to matters on the pitch, Foster was understandably delighted with the 12-point haul from the League fixtures with St. Pat's and is more than hopeful of avoiding another dramatic dance with relegation, given that his side have beaten six of the other nine sides in the division over the course of the season.
"I wish it was us safe, but we have a points target. We are not there, and we won't stop until we are. I think it is a points target which well get us seventh which is our aim, we have not been out of the top seven all season, and I would be disappointed to go out of it now with eight games to go.
"If we don't win another game for the rest of the season I don't know where that will bring us to be perfectly honest. We have to get results and we have got to get them quickly until it is mathematically certain that we cannot go down", Foster said.
"If someone had said to me at the start of the season that we’d get four wins off the team that finished 2nd last year I’d have broke their wrist snapping their hand off. It’s an unbelievable achievement. What we have done more often than not is beat the teams around us.
"We know we can beat these teams which gives us confidence going into the games. We will go to Dundalk believing we can get all three points."
"I would think it would be 4-6 weeks. Four if we’re lucky, six if we’re not. I won’t rule him out for the season just yet. We’ll see how it settles down. He’s still very sore today. We’ll look at it over the next few weeks. We won’t give up, we’ll rehab him and get him as right as he can be and see what he’s like", Foster stated.
Davoren's absence will not be his only selection headache in the coming weeks as he tries to maintain the club's position in relative mid-table safety. Following his sending off against Shamrock Rovers, Shane Guthrie will serve a further two game suspension and will be joined on the sidelines by his central defensive partner Garry Breen for the visit of Bray Wanderers. Foster revealed his dissatisfaction at the FAI's disciplinary process that has left him anxiously anticipating the arrival of the official suspensions list to the Terryland offices.
"Shane Guthrie has got a further two game ban for his sending off here against Shamrock Rovers so he will miss the game (v Dundalk) and Bray. It is part and parcel of the game at this stage of the season. I got the suspensions through and the list is as long as my arm.
"I don't agree with the way suspensions are done over here, I don't think four players should be serving suspensions in the same game, not with the way referees issue yellow cards in this country.
"I don't agree with when they come because you just don't know when they are going to come. When you get five yellow cards you should miss the game in seven days time, when you get sent off you should miss the next game.
"I don't think it is rocket science, the FAI need to have a look at it so you know when players are missing. At the moment I am stuck by the fax machine."
Returning to matters on the pitch, Foster was understandably delighted with the 12-point haul from the League fixtures with St. Pat's and is more than hopeful of avoiding another dramatic dance with relegation, given that his side have beaten six of the other nine sides in the division over the course of the season.
"I wish it was us safe, but we have a points target. We are not there, and we won't stop until we are. I think it is a points target which well get us seventh which is our aim, we have not been out of the top seven all season, and I would be disappointed to go out of it now with eight games to go.
"If we don't win another game for the rest of the season I don't know where that will bring us to be perfectly honest. We have to get results and we have got to get them quickly until it is mathematically certain that we cannot go down", Foster said.
"If someone had said to me at the start of the season that we’d get four wins off the team that finished 2nd last year I’d have broke their wrist snapping their hand off. It’s an unbelievable achievement. What we have done more often than not is beat the teams around us.
"We know we can beat these teams which gives us confidence going into the games. We will go to Dundalk believing we can get all three points."
About Alan Dooley
is one of Extratime's longest serving contributors. Based in County Galway, Alan has been following the League of Ireland since the mid-1980s. His first memory of the drama of domestic football was Vinny Arkins, then … View Full Profile