Faherty’s goal continues United’s good home run

Galway United 1

Finn Harps 0

Galway United have begun a season with three successive home wins for just the fourth time in the club’s history – but even more impressive, it is the first time they have done so by keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Last Friday night saw Finn Harps follow Bray Wanderers and Bohemians in leaving Eamonn Deacy Park with absolutely nothing to show for 90 minutes of effort, as Tommy Dunne’s side move back up to third in the table.

In truth, it was a poor game, something both managers admitted after the final whistle, but despite a hat-trick of home wins which has only been matched by Derry City, United continue to fly under the radar. That could all change with a win against Cork City at the Dyke Road venue this Friday night.

But for now, not many are taking United seriously – even in their Soccer Republic highlights package on Monday night, RTE were as keen to highlight the chances created by Harps as they were to throw a bit of praise to the home side, and their treatment of the game’s only goal summed that up.

For anyone who relied on the highlights to see United’s goal, it looked a standard-enough three-pass move that culminated in a ball across the box for Vinny Faherty to slide in and guide it home for his fourth of the season. But that didn’t do it justice.

Instead, check out the club’s YouTube channel for the full move, which began with Ryan Connolly midway inside his own half, and featured 12 passes involving six players as United scythed through the opposition for a goal manager Tommy Dunne hailed as a contender for goal of the season.

“The goal was as good a goal as you are likely to see. The move was good, we linked the game well and the finish was good. Vinny is back in form, he dipped a bit last week but was back tonight and he showed he is a good striker,” Dunne said after the game.

The goal means the 2016 version has matched the United squads of 1984/85, 1985/86 and 1987/88 in starting a season with a hat-trick of home wins. Those first two runs were ended by draws in the fourth home game, but the 1987/88 squad made it four wins on the bounce before drawing their fifth game with Cork City.

Almost 30 years later, it will be the Leesiders who will again look to end United’s perfect home start to a campaign in what will be the first real test at home for this young United squad, but Dunne says that while the home form has been good, no-one is getting carried away just yet.