Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
League Preview: Galway United -v- Derry City
- Dave Donnelly
- Mon, May 08 2017
GALWAY UNITED
Galway United welcome Derry City to Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm) for the league fixture re-fixed following the passing of Ryan McBride in March.
Shane Keegan's side stretched their unbeaten run to six – four in the league – with a 2-2 draw away to Drogheda United on Friday night.
Substitutes Padraic Cunningham and Jesse Devers got the goals – the latter in injury-time – as Galway followed up the win over Dundalk with another positive result.
It was Cunningham's first goal since recovering from a serious knee injury sustained last summer, and he expressed his delight to the club's website.
"It was great to get back on the scoresheet. It's a feeling I haven't experienced in a while," Cunningham told www.galwayunitedfc.ie.
"I'm hoping I can push on now and score a lot more. It was a valuable point against Drogheda.
“We conceded late on but we showed fight and determination to get back into the game again to draw 2-2. It shows the fight in us. Hopefully we can pick up the three points against Derry City on Monday now.
"It's a massive game on Monday. Three points brings us to within touching distance of getting out of the relegation zone. We don't want to be there come the end of the season. We want to push on.
“Derry City have had a tough few months, but they seem to have bounced back and it looks like they played nice football against Bohemians on Friday night.”
Vinny Faherty will be out for a number of weeks after tearing a foot ligament against Drogheda, while David Cawley is a doubt with an ankle knock.
DERRY CITY
Derry City got their first win since March 18th when they ran out comfortable 2-0 winners over Bohemians at Maginn Park on Friday.
It's taken the Candystripes that long to regain some semblance of form following the tragic death of captain McBride the day after that March 18th win over Drogheda.
While football means nothing to such a tragedy, Kenny Shiels' side will be delighted to finally restore some manner of normality as they adapt to live without their skipper.
Like Galway, Derry have had a lot of draws but struggle to convert them into wins, so the manner of the win, with Dean Jarvis and Aaron McEneff scoring in each half, will have pleased Shiels.
Shiels was without Rory Patterson, Aron Netzer and Mikhail Kennedy for Friday's game and will have to plan without them once again.
Referee: TBC
MATCH STATS
Both sides are on unbeaten runs, with Galway unbeaten in seven and Derry in four, since Galway's 2-0 triumph in the EA Sports Cup on April 17th.
The sides met three times last year, with the final score being 0-0 on two occasions and Derry winning the first meeting, at the Brandywell, 2-1 in the opening weeks of the season.
BETTING
Galway United 23/10; Draw 23/10; Derry City 6/5.
PREDICTION
Galway United 2 – 1 Derry City
Galway United
Injured: Vinny Faherty (foot).
Doubtful: David Cawley (ankle).
Suspended: None.
Derry City
Injured: Mikhail Kennedy (knee), Aron Netzer, Rory Patterson (ankle).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
