Focus switches back to survival

Date Published: 28-Oct-2008

DISAPPOINTMENT rather than despair – that was the general feeling in the Galway United camp on Sunday evening after their run in this year’s FAI Cup was ended at the semi-final stage by Derry City, the second time United have fallen at the penultimate stage of a Cup competition to Derry this season.

European football may be off the cards, but Premier Division football is what it has been all about this season, and if United can reverse Sunday’s result when they visit the Brandywell to take on Derry in the league next weekend, then the cup semi-final defeat will be, if not forgotten, then certainly easier to stomach.

“It’s disappointing, obviously it would be nice to get to a Cup final and I think we played the better football today, but to be honest the league is our priority so we just have to focus on that now,” said Alan Keane, deservedly named man-of-thematch by Pat Morley, a man who sounded throughout the commentary as though he didn’t enjoy his afternoon at a wind-swept Terryland.

United were missing five players – three of whom were certain starters – for the semifinal, forcing manager Jeff Kenna into naming himself in the defence alongside Paul Sinnott, a first start of the campaign for the 22-year old. Five of the players on the United bench had made the grand total of three starts between them this season, so the home side were always up against it, and Kenna said he could not have asked for more from his side.

“I thought the lads that came in did very well, everyone ran themselves into the ground. We threw everything at them, but just couldn’t get the goal. I don’t want to be disrespectful to the lads who came in but I think if the three who were suspended had played, we had enough to win that game,” said Kenna, who admitted afterwards he was feeling sore “from the neck down” after his first appearance since the 4-1 drubbing by Cobh back at the end of August.

A disappointing crowd of less than 3,000 turned up for the game, one of whom was Kevin Reeves, a former Manchester City player who now works as a scout for Swansea City. Reeves was sent to watch Jay O’Shea – and it was rumoured Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was also in attendance to keep an eye on the new U21 and U23 international, and while O’Shea did show sporadic glimpses of class, Reeves and McLeish will have been more impressed by Alan Keane and John Lester.

Keane took …

For a full report on the match see page 18 of this week’s Sentinel