Cup offers chance to forget league woes

GALWAY United take a break from a hugely disappointing league campaign when they travel to Wexford on Saturday to take on non-league side North End United in the First Round of the FAI Cup in Ferrycarrig Park (6pm).

With hopes of promotion all but over, United will look to rescue something from their season with an extended Cup run, but they will be aware of the potential of a shock result in Wexford, having struggled to get past the same opposition in the Cup three years ago.

United were a Premier Division side when they hosted North End United at Eamonn Deacy Park in May 2015, but despite taking a 4th minute lead through Jake Keegan, the home side struggled to put away opponents that then United manager, Tommy Dunne, admitted had “played the better football over the course of the game”.

Six of this year’s squad were involved in that game – Ryan Connolly, Gary Shanahan, Marc Ludden, Alex Byrne, Stephen Walsh, and Connor Gleeson (and Conor Barry was also in the United squad at the time) – and with United having also struggled against non-league opposition in last year’s Cup, manager Alan Murphy will be emphasising the need for total application on Saturday.

It took a penalty shoot-out to get past Killester United in the First Round of the Cup last season, and with United having won just three of their 12 games on the road this season, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they were to struggle on Saturday.

The last thing the club needs is to be the victims of a Cup upset, and the players need to deliver an emphatic response to losing a two-goal lead against Drogheda United last weekend which has effectively ended their promotion hopes.

See full preview in Tribune Sport.

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