SD Galway -v- Wexford Youths

• Gareth Penrose
• Sat, Jul 07 2012




 

SD GALWAY

With Eamonn Deacy Park closed for repairs, SD Galway return to Drom for their Airtricity First Division game against Wexford Youths on Saturday (kick-off 7pm).

 

David Cooke is back in the squad having rejoined the club where he played all his underage football. Cooke did see some action in the last few seasons with Galway United and was eligible to sign on July 1st.

 

Damien O’Reilly, who showed some fine form and ability previously for Salthill Devon at under 21 and ‘A’ Championship level, has rejoined the club. He has spent the last 18 months or so concentrating on Gaelic Football where he represented Galway.

 

SD Galway manager Tony Mannion is pleased with the development of the team over the course of the season.

 

“The morale continues to be good – we said from day one that this was a project that would time to gel and there is a great determination, to get something from the latter end of the season, amongst the players.

 

“If Cookie is fit to play then he gives us real options as will Damien as Enda Curran is struggling with a dead leg and Mike Tierney’s foot is giving him some discomfort."

 

WEXFORD YOUTHS

The Youths poor run of form continued last weekend with a loss at home to Waterford United, and manager Shane Keegan knows this will be a tough fixture to get back to winning ways..
 

Talking to www.wexfordyouthsfc.ie, he said,  “From what I am hearing over there, They (SD Galway) are very happy with the way things went over the break, I think they have come back from the break very, very much improved. Taking us to The Drom rather than Terryland is probably going to make that little bit tougher for us as well so it should be a very tight match.”
 

The Youths will be looking for a much improved performance having endured a slump in form since the first quarter of the season. Keegan recognises that Wexford need a big performance in Galway.

 

 “There’s no doubt we are in a slump at the moment and it’s disappointing considering how good we were earlier in the season but as I have said before, we need to dig deep and turn in a big performance.

 

"I would be very confident that once we get that first win that we can kick on again but when you lose a few games in a row it starts to play on the mind a little bit and different things can affect your mentality in games so we have to dig deep and pull out a big, big performance, you are not going to get any handy wins in this division but I think if we can get one, that will roll into two, into three and we can kick on as we did in the first quarter of the season.”

 

Youths will be without Mark Phelan and Brian Nolan, who are both suspended.

 

Referee: Ralph Pieper.

 

MATCH STATS

The sides have met twice this season, drawing 1-1 in Terryland Park in March, while Wexford won 2-0 at home in April.

 

This will be the first game between the sides this season that Keith Callanan will not referee.

 

SD Galway have scored the least amount of goals in the league, and have conceded the most. Wexford Youths have scored the second least amount of goals.  

 

BETTING

SD Galway 7/2; Draw 23/10; Wexford Youths 8/11.

 

PREDICTION

A draw, 1-1 

 

SD GalwayInjury News: Mikey Gilmore (recovering from accident), Colm Horgan (fractured arm), Brian Gaffney (hamstring), Ronan Conlon (holidays), Enda Curran (doubtful - dead leg), Mike Tierney (foot injury - doubtful), Gerry Dolan (muscle strain - doubtful)

SD GalwaySuspension News: None.

 

Wexford Youths Injury News: None

Wexford Youths Suspension News: Brian Nolan, Mark Phelan.