Galway FC eager to drive home advantage in second leg against Shelbourne

GALWAY FC take a two goal advantage to Tolka Park tonight for the second leg of the First Division play-off with Shelbourne (8pm), with manager Tommy Dunne insisting his side will be going out to win the game.

Goals from Ryan Connolly and Gary Shanahan have put the Tribesmen in the driving seat to book a place in next week’s two-leg promotion/relegation final against either UCD or Athlone Town, but Dunne says his side will approach tonight’s game like they would any other – to try and win it.

“I think that’s the wrong word,” Dunne says when it is put to him that his side will take a “careful” approach to tonight’s game.

“For me, the word is ‘right’ – we need to be ‘right’ from the very start and play the game on its merits – if we play ‘right’, then we’ll be okay. That mean’s defending properly, not making silly mistakes, but it also means taking chances that come our way.

“Make no mistake, Shelbourne will be coming at us right from the start, and they have to. They may decide to play two men up front as they need goals, but that could present us with more opportunities to attack. They usually drop an extra body into midfield, but if they go with two up front, that gives us more scope, so that’s why I say we have to play the game on its merits,” Dunne said yesterday.

The squad was to train last night where the game plan for Tolka Park was to be unveiled, and the good news for Galway FC fans is up to last night, there were no new injury concerns – Aaron McDonagh has appendicitis, but him apart, Dunne will have a full squad to choose from.

The one absentee tonight will be Dunne himself, who serves the first of a two-game suspension after being sent from the dugout in the 2-2 draw with Wexford Youths a fortnight ago – if things work to plan, he’ll serve the second suspension in either Lissywoolen or the Belfield Bowl on Monday night.

“We are not looking to Monday at all, we have a job to do in Tolka Park. I think the first 20 minutes are crucial, we need to be on our game from the start, but it is important that if Shels do get an early goal – or a goal at any point – that we don’t panic.

“Look, we are in a great position – Shels need to beat us by three goals to advance, it’s as simple as that. We have done well up there, and we have a scoring threat ourselves – we’ve scored five goals in our two visits there, but Friday’s game will be totally different, it will be a cup final in many respects.

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