Embarrassing United display ends club’s promotion hopes

Galway United 1

Longford Town 4

GALWAY United’s remote Airtricity First Division promotion ambitions were certainly extinguished at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night as a spiritless display saw them suffer an embarrassing defeat against a visiting side who maintained their own challenge.

One down at the break, United found themselves four in arrears on the resumption, before a cracking Carlton Ubaezuonu finish gave them a late consolation goal to take the more miserable look off proceedings.

On a night when the entertainment value was at a low level from a home point of view, the most incisive moments of the evening were provided by manager Alan Murphy in his post match briefing.

“I’m embarrassed by it and it’s a low point in terms of this club. Now if we played a really good team it would be something else, but before this game Longford were beside us in the table, but the teams looked a world apart on the park. A change is needed as this is not acceptable for Galway United and the work put into it.”

The Mayo native was bestowing a calm exterior, but after a half hour debriefing in the dressing room, he related to some of the conversation behind closed doors by saying: “the guyss need to have a look at themsleves and decide if they want to be League of Ireland players. Sacrifices have to be made in terms of life, fitness and generally minding yourself and this squad has been cruising for a long time.”

When asked if he knew what the issue was with results and performances, Murphy stressed that he “knew what the problem was” and that it was not beyond his remit to fix it – but not this season. “We have to deal with what we have now, but the league playoffs are gone and the season is now all about the FAI Cup tie against Bohemians at the weekend.

“The players just have to develope a siege mentality, put in a performance and win the game. The contest also presents an opportunity for other players to get a chance and Mark Herrick and I have faith in our ability to organise them and get a result.”

The opinions of Murphy were similiar to many of the attendance who were dismayed by the inability of the side to match a Longford team which took seven points off the Dyke Road outfit over the course of the season.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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