League Preview: Shelbourne -v- Galway United

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SHELBOURNE

Shelbourne will be swinging back into action and looking for all three points when the league resumes and they entertain Galway Utd at Tolka Park this Friday night, KO 7.45pm.

Shels were top of the table prior to the mid-season break and will be anxious to show that the enforced break does not impact their momentum as they go in search of a first league title since 2006.

They had won four of their last five games leading up to the break, the only reverse being a surprising 2-1 home defeat to Sligo Rovers, but they quickly moved on from that loss by winning their next two games

They beat Dundalk 1-0 away and followed that up with a 1-0 home win over Waterford before all teams broke for the summer recess.

The players may have been on a well-deserved break but the backroom staff have been busy and recently announced the signing of two new players at Tolka Park.

Sam Bone joins the Reds from Maidstone Utd until the end of the season, while Ali Coote has also transferred from Detroit City and both will be eligible to play from July 1st.

Gavin Molloy however has made a move in another direction, leaving Tolka Park for SPL club Aberdeen.

Manager Damien Duff was on media duty with the club’s own media team in advance of this game and he said ‘’I think it’ll be different to the games that came before. The pitch certainly wasn’t in great shape back then in Tolka. I think Galway have surprised a lot of teams this year. So, you would think they’re not going to come to Tolka and surprise us.

“We know it’s a bloody tough task. Like I’ve said every year here, I always believe that we’ll evolve and get better through the year. Are we a better team from when was it, last March? Absolutely.



“It’s not me underestimating Galway at all. For us to beat them at home and create chances and score goals, we’ll have to be at our best.”

Duff was also effusive in his praise of Friday night’s opponents and he added ‘’They’re having an incredible season. Brilliant staff, brilliant manager. Very, very dangerous players.

“I’ve openly said it to our guys this week so I won’t mind saying it to the fans. I always thought or would have said we’re the hardest working team in the league. The more I look at Galway, I’d maybe give that mantle to them.”

“I think that proves how hard the task is. If we’re any way off, as any other game, we’ll get found out.” 

GALWAY UTD

Galway Utd scored three goals for the second time this season when they finished their pre- midseason break campaign with a resounding 3-0 win over basement side Drogheda Utd at Eamonn Deacy Park earlier this month.



That result put them into a very respectable fifth place on the table on 30 points, but they also have the second lowest number of games played in the division, 20, with Bohemians on only 19 played before the break.

They have the best defensive record in the Premier Division, only conceding 13 goals in the 20 games played but equally their goals for account are also low with only 17 goals scored to date.

That 3-0 win over Drogheda will certainly help the latter metric, as Stephen Walsh (2) and Conor O Keeffe scored in front of their home fans to secure all three points for John Caulfield’s side.

The Tribesmen have been active in the transfer market also, with the movement away of Algerian born striker Wassim Aouachria to NIFL club Glentoran in Belfast, while midfielder Bobby Burns makes the reverse journey from The Oval (Glentoran) to Eamonn Deacy Park.

United manager John Caulfield spoke with the Connacht Tribune this week and said that his core squad are all back training and looking forward to the second half of the season.

He added ‘’We have let some players go and Joe Wright’s last game will be this Friday against Shelbourne. Yeah, I heard some of the wild stories going around but we only had a couple of phone calls about some members of the extended squad, that’s it, and all our players are under contract.”

He also said ‘’Friday could also be the final game in a United jersey for Al Amin Kazeem, whose loan deal from Colchester expires on Sunday, when his contract expires with the League Two side. His future is complicated: United want to keep him, and Colchester have issued a letter of retention and offered him a new contract, so if he signs that, he could realistically return to United on loan for the rest of the season.’’

Referee: Rob Hennessey

 

MATCH STATS

These two sides have met twice already this season and home advantage has been a key factor in both games.

Tolka Park was the venue for the opening clash of the season in March with a 15th minute John Martin goal giving Damien Duff’s side all three points in a narrow 1-0 win.

The result was reversed in Eamonn Deacy Park a month later however when John Caulfield’s side got all three points in another 1-0 win, this time Ed McCarthy’s 24th minute strike separating the two teams.

PREDICTION

Shelbourne 2-1 Galway United

 

Shelbourne

Injured:  None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Mark Coyle

Unavailable: Sam Bone, Ali Coote

 

Galway United

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Unavailable: Bobby Burns

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