Galway United vs Shamrock Rovers

Three points are a must for Galway United tomorrow night as they take on Shamrock Rovers at Terryland Park. Seven points from safety, the splendid Cup form which resurfaced at the Carlisle Grounds on Tuesday night must now be carried forward into League fare.

Rovers will be no pushover, though, as they still have a fighting chance of grabbing fourth place which could yet turn into a European place should St Pat's or Derry win the FAI Cup. So a team which has done well against the Tribesmen in recent times will have enough incentive to raise their game in search of another victory by the Corrib.

Galway's need is infinitely greater, though, and with Finn Harps unlikely to add to their points tally away to the Champions-elect, a win is the only result that will keep hopes of survival valid for at least another few weeks. The win in Bray was a tonic, but Galway have fared well against the Seasiders all season - the loss in Terryland early in the season was exceedingly harsh on the hosts. So confidence would have been high entering the tie as they drew on the memory of a smash and grab win when Derek Glynn snatched all three points at the death in their league tie.

Tomorrow night's encounter is an altogether different matter, as memories of recent clashes with the Hoops are more harrowing than joyful. A toothless 2-0 defeat, back when Alan Murphy wore the green and white, was one of the more depressing nights, of which there have been a few, at Terryland Park. This was followed by a game at Tolka in June where disastrous own goals, and the use of the words "comfortable" and "dire" were to the fore. This latter word must never again be used this season to describe United's defending if they are to have any chance of slithering free of relegation.

These bitter memories must be overcome, but they have unearthed one glimmer of hope since that period. Jay O'Shea is at the heart of Galway's attacking menace at present, and whether he can now produce a display against one of the top six sides remains to be seen. He has done so against the lesser lights, leading defenders a merry dance on many occasions, but tomorrow night will be the asset test. Ciaran Foley and John Lester formed a solid axis in the middle third on Tuesday night, but with Murphy now available again, it will be interesting to see if Kenna keeps faith with the more terrier-like midfield duo or opt for Murphy alongside the silken skills of John Russell as he has done in the past.

The Derek Glynn conundrum continues to perplex the Galway faithful, but Kenna has stuck with the not-so-free-scoring Danish striker Jesper Jorgensen who contributes more in the build up rather than actually finding the net, which Glynn is more adept at. A partnership between the two obviously doesn't work in Kenna's eyes, so Glynn must be content with a role off the bench for now.

With 3 home and 5 away games to come after tomorrow's tie, the importance of a win has never been more crucial for Galway. With a move back to part-time status in the offing for next season, at least the carrot of Premier Division football may entice some of the better players to stay put. A return to the First Division would spark a major exodus.

The game kicks off at 1945 and the referee is Mr Anthony Buttimer.