Galway FC face a busy start to new campaign

Galway FC face a busy start to their inaugural season in the League of Ireland after being handed a home tie in the League Cup which is scheduled to be played just three days after they kick-off their season against Longford Town on March 7.

The draw for the EA Sports Cup has seen 24 teams split into four groups of six teams, and Galway FC have been handed a First Round tie against the Mayo League which will be played in Eamonn Deacy Park on Monday March 10 (7.45pm).

Finn Harps host Ulster Senior League side Cockhill Celtic – who dumped Galway United out of the League Cup in 2011 –in the other game in the group, while both Derry City and Sligo Rovers have been handed First Round byes.

The winners of the Galway-Mayo and Harps-Cockhill games will then go into the hat with Derry City and Sligo Rovers for the Seound Round draw, and the winners of those two games will progress to a national open draw for the quarter finals along with the two qualifiers from the other three pools.

Mervue United have also been invited to play in this year’s EA Sports Cup, and have been placed in Pool 4 along with Athlone Town, Longford Town, Bohemians, St Patrick’s Athletic and UCD. The Fahy’s Field side have been handed a First Round bye along with St Patrick’s Athletic.

Meanwhile, Galway FC’s preseason campaign continues with two games scheduled next week. Tommy Dunne takes his side to the North West next Wednesday to take on Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds (7.30pm), having already defeated Ian Barraclough’s side 5-3 in Fahy’s Field on Saturday February 1; and they then host Athlone Town in Eamonnn Deacy Park on Saturday February 22 (6.30pm).

Dunne’s squad has already played three friendlies in preparation for the start of the new season: as well as the win over Sligo Rovers, they recorded a 2-1 win over Dundalk in Mervue on Tuesday night, while they lost 1-0 to Limerick FC last Thursday week, February 6.

President Michael D Higgins will attend the season opener against Longford on Friday March 7 – President Higgins was the former President of Galway United FC.

Season tickets cost €99 for adults, €199 for a family of five (two adults and three children under the age of 18); while student/unwaged/OAP tickets cost €65. Tickets are available in the city from Eamonn Deacy Park, the Mervue United clubhouse, O’Brien’s Newsagents on Williams Street; and Reidy’s Menswear in the Galway Shopping Centre.