SD Galway -v- Mervue United

SD GALWAY

Tony Mannion’s SD Galway have fared only slightly better than their city rivals amassing two points from draws with Wexford Youths and Longford Town at home and remain unbeaten in Terryland in the league. Since taking the first points off League leaders Longford Town two weeks ago after a 1-1 draw, Galway have lost twice in the space of three days. A 3-0 away defeat to Finn Harps were they also had Nicky Curran and Mikey Gilmore sent off, was quickly followed by a 2-0 home defeat to Premier Division champions, Shamrock Rovers, as they exited the EA Sports Cup on Easter Monday were they had another player dismissed.

Like his counterpart, Mannion has those suspensions to deal with as former Mervue player Nicky Curran, Mikey Gilmore and Willie Enubele all serve automatic one game bans, while youngsters Timmy Molloy and Colm Horgan are away on international duty with the Irish Schools squad in Wales. Goalkeeper Liam Grant and Cian Fadden return to the squad having been unavailable for the last two games.

Mannion insists that Friday night’s game is no different to any other despite it being a local derby stating “We are setting out to do something here. We want to build a club and make ourselves a viable league of Ireland club that is sustainable. We can’t just think about winning against Mervue – we could lose all the rest of the games until the end of the season. We need to try and play in the way we want to play.”

"Against Rovers there were times when we got the ball down and we were clever and we tried to express ourselves. That is what we need to do. If you start looking at results, you can lose some of that focus. We need to go out to perform to the best of our ability. If we do that, we will take whatever comes our way."

MERVUE UNITED

Having ended a run of five narrow opening game defeats with a first point last week, following a scoreless draw with Waterford Utd at home, Johnny Glynn’s Mervue side will be eager to register their first three points in what is already a crucial game for both sides. It has been a tough opening series of games for Glynn and his squad as they would have expected to have a few more points on the board after series one, but a crippling injury list and suspensions have blighted their progress to date.

Glynn would have been pleased by last week’s battling performance, which yielded a deserved first point and more importantly a confidence boost ahead of this week’s derby game. Games between these two Galway city rivals are always close affairs no matter what level the two club’s engage at, so we can expect something of a cup tie nature to this encounter.

Glynn’s injury and suspension woes continue as Martin Conneely (groin), James Casserly (groin), Michael McSweeney (hamstring) and Brian Connolly (ankle) are all definitely out, while both Alan Murphy and Gary Kelly are due late fitness tests. Captain Mike Elwood serves his final match of a three game ban, while fellow centre half, Stephen Walsh, has received a further two game additional ban for his red card against Wexford two weeks ago.

Mervue did receive a timely boost last week with last season’s top goal-scorer Tom King returning to action as he appeared for the final half hour having recovered from a long term cruciate knee injury sustained last July. Defender Marc Ludden also made an impressive first start of the season returning from injury to play out of position as an emergency centre half were he will line out again on Friday night.

Manager Glynn on Friday’s derby game “It’s a big game for both sides and derby games between us have always been tight close games in the past. I was very impressed with them defensively against Shamrock Rovers in the cup on Monday last, so we will have to improve again on last week’s performance if we are to take something from the game, but we are looking forward to the game and have prepared well during the week”.

Referee:  Ray Matthews (Westmeath)

MATCH STATS

Eric Browne captained the first Mervue Utd team in a League of Ireland game against Athlone Town in March 2009, he also scored the club’s first goal in the following game against Limerick. Mike Tierney scored the first ever Mervue goal in a LOI match played at Fahy’s Field last March as he headed home an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Cork City. Both Browne and Tierney will line out for SD Galway on Friday night.

Brothers Nicky and Enda Curran both know what it’s like to score the winner in a big derby game between the sides as both have scored the winners for Mervue in separate derby games. Enda came off the bench to score the winner in Terryland in October 2010, while Nicky scored the winner in Drom in the opening game of the 2011 season. Both Curran’s are now back playing with Salthill.

Mervue recorded their biggest LOI win to date in the last derby game between the two sides when they ran out 5-0 winners in Drom last August. Salthill’s only derby win in six meetings came in Drom in July 2010 as they registered a 2-0 win on that occasion.

Goalkeeper Ronan Forde produced a man of the match display for Salthill saving two penalties as he ensured a scoreless draw in the only meeting at Fahy’s Field last May. Forde will line out for Mervue on Friday night.

BETTING

SD Galway 2/1, Draw 11/5, Mervue Utd 6/5.

PREDICTION

Honours even .

SD Galway Injury News: Ciaran Foley

SD Galway Suspension News: Nicky Curran, Mikey Gilmore and Willie Enubele.

SD GalwayUnavailable: Timmy Molloy and Colm Horgan (Irish Schools International)

Mervue Injury News: Martin Conneely (groin), James Casserly (achilles), Michael McSweeney (hamstring), Brian Connolly (ankle) - Alan Murphy, Gary Kelly (both doubts).

Mervue Suspension News: Mike Elwood and Stephen Walsh.