Sports
Battle weary United brought crashing back to earth
Galway United 0
Derry City 4
From the high of a cup semi-final win to the low of a heaviest defeat of the season: talk about being brought back to earth with a shuddering crash.
And what a crash it was, one that makes a squelching, splodging sound as it makes contact with terra ferma, something Galway United’s Premier Division survival prospects are certainly not on after the weekend’s results.
Friday night’s defeat has seen United drop to 10th in the table, and with Limerick FC suddenly realising how beneficial it is to actually win games, it has suddenly become a lot more uncomfortable at the foot of the table for Tommy Dunne’s side.
Perhaps Friday’s defeat didn’t really come as a surprise, however, considering the exertions over the previous weekend when United had to play for a third of their game with St Pats with just 10 men last Friday; and then face 120 minutes of action against Dundalk in the EA Sports Cup on Monday night.
An already small squad has been stretched to the hilt due to injuries – United were missing four frontliners because of this on Friday night – so the physical toll was bound to tell. There have been some grumblings on the terraces that Dunne did not add to his squad during the transfer window, but the simple fact is the club is taking a responsible approach on the financial front, and it makes a pleasant change.
Yes, some new faces would be welcome, but United can’t spend like there is no tomorrow: remember, the last time they did, it turned out that there was no tomorrow. The club spent two years out of the league, and no-one wants a return to that abyss once again: it is better to have a club not spend money and be relegated, than have a club spend money . . . and then have no club.
Maybe if the club was getting bigger gates, there would be some coppers rattling around in petty cash – just 1,104 people were counted on Friday night – but the simple fact is that a winning team is an attractive one that will generate crowds, and United’s home form has been south of poor this season.
Friday night was their 12th league game at Eamonn Deacy Park this season – and their ninth defeat. While they have swept all before them in this season’s cup competitions – all five of United’s cup games have been at the Dyke Road venue, and all five have been victories for the home side – it has been a very different story in the league.
Full report in this week’s City Tribune.