Galway United's Conor O'Keeffe: 'We want to be playing these games. We want to be playing the best in the country'

Paul Corcoran reports from Eamonn Deacy Park

Galway United’s 0-0 draw with Drogheda United on Friday night puts the Tribesmen on seven points after five games, not a bad start for the newly promoted Tribesmen. Conor O’Keeffe spoke to extratime.com and he gave his thoughts on the game.

“Based over ninety minutes, I probably think neither side had enough chances to win the game. I think for ourselves first half we probably edged it slightly.

“Couple of chances from set pieces from a free kick, a short free kick that was just went past the post. So, I'd be disappointed not to be going in one nil up, I think the foundation of the of the draw for us was the clean sheet and we're just hoping to try and get that breakthrough to them.

“Maybe they'll have to open up and be able to find more spaces, but just wasn't to be tonight.”

O’Keeffe was off the back of his first appearance for the Tribesmen this season, and his first Premier Division appearance since the 2016 season when he lined out for Wexford.

The defender was pleased to return to the pitch on Friday night.

“Every player wants to be on the pitch, wants to be in the starting eleven. It's a very competitive squad this year.

“That's what you need to get the best out of players is have competition for places to try and get the best out of the team.

“So, I know you just got to keep training well, keep playing well when you get your chance and just put in a solid performance so you can try and keep your place in the team, but obviously delighted to be back tonight.

United now have seven points from their opening five games, not a bad start, as O’Keeffe would admit himself.

They now face into a difficult run of games with Shamrock Rovers visiting Galway on Friday before a trip to the Brandywell to face Derry City in two weeks, but ‘Chief’ as the defender is known is relishing the opportunity to face big name opposition.

“It’s a good start, we have high standards. We have high expectations of ourselves. Not to put ourselves under too much expectation, I suppose, but each game as it comes, we go in to try and win obviously doesn't matter who you're playing against,” he explained

“You go in with a game plan to try and win the game and just take each game as it comes, and you don't look too far ahead. Sounds cliche obviously, but you just have to focus on because Friday, Monday, Friday, it's relentless.

“You just have to take each game. Different opposition provides it with different challenges, so you might just have to tweak your game plan a little bit. But we just kind of try and get maximum points to feel like two games we didn't. We lost. We were disappointed. Because it’s fine margins.

“You’ve just got to embrace it, that's why you're in this division. That's why we want to be here. We want to be playing these games. We want to be playing the best in the country.

“You’ve just got to embrace the challenge step up to the plate and take a head on because as a footballer you want to play against the best in the country, you want to play in the best division in the country, you look forward to it.”

Conor O’Keeffe’s full interview can be heard on the extratime.com Voice Notes Podcast which can be found below.

The extratime Voice Notes Podcast - Season 2 - Episode 7 - Owen Heary, Colin Hawkins, Kevin Doherty, Conor O'Keeffe, Gareth McGlynn, John Russell, Barry Murphy, Tom Clancy and WLOI Round-up https://t.co/tQuJ9akA8Wpic.twitter.com/GuBB3wWiEc

— extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) March 10, 2024