Preview: Galway Utd vs Bohemians

The wait is almost over. 17 weeks of inactivity comes to an end on Friday night as Pat Fenlon’s Bohemians side travel to Terryland Park for an intriguing opening fixture. Both clubs emerge from the off-season with strengthened squads and ambitions to improve on last season’s final league placings.

Galway’s poor home form of last year began with a demoralising 2-0 defeat by Sligo Rovers, and Cousins will be hoping his side can begin with a much sharper display this time around. Once they finally got that elusive first home win, 13 points from their final 6 home games lifted Utd to 8th place in the final reckoning and with a more balanced and experienced squad this time around, a season without the anxiety of a relegation battle will be needed for Cousins to maintain the healthy attendance levels of last year.

New arrivals Mark Leech, Gary Deegan, Marc McCulloch and Jay O’Shea are all likely to feature, having impressed in Galway’s pre-season run-outs. A late addition to the squad is former Ipswich Town academy midfielder Ollie Fenn, who arrived with a glowing endorsement from his new boss and may also be involved.

Galway’s new captain John Fitzgerald is a doubt for Friday’s game while Alan Keane is back in training following a recent knee injury.

Bohs arrive as title-challengers to be, with Fenlon having added firepower and steel in the guise of Jason Byrne, Ken Oman and Killian Brennan.

Whether they can improve on their 3rd place finish remains to be seen, but their vocal support will arrive in the West with much confidence, especially considering their side hasn’t been beaten in Galway since 1994 and have won all of their last 8 outings in Terryland.

Supporters of both clubs are being advised to arrive early as a large attendance is expected.