Galway FC to kick off against Longford

GALWAY FC will begin life in the League of Ireland on Friday, March 7 when they host First Division favourites Longford Town in Eamonn Deacy Park (7.45pm) for a game that will pit new manager Tommy Dunne against his cousin, the former Galway United manager, Tony Cousins.

The Airtricity League First Division fixtures were released on Tuesday afternoon, and Dunne’s side have been handed a tough start to life in the league, with their second game away to Waterford United (Friday, March 14), followed by the visit of a Shamrock Rovers ‘B’ side (Friday, March 21), which has been invited into the league to bring to eight the number of clubs competing in this year’s First Division.

 Longford lost the promotion play-off final against Bray Wanderers last season after finishing second in the league; while Waterford only finished two points outside the play-off spots in fourth after a stunning end-of-season run of results by Mervue United saw them pip the Blues to third place.

“It is a very tough start, as tough a start as you could get, but it will give is an early indication of where we stand. Longford have been there or thereabouts in the last couple of years, and they have added some very good players for this year.

“Waterford United and Shamrock Rovers, they are clubs with great tradition, and will be very tough games. We go in to the season as underdogs, so every game will be tough, but we are training well and the lads are really looking forward to the new season,” Dunne said.

Pre-season training began last Saturday, and Dunne has paid tribute to the efforts of Mervue United to accommodate him and his side, given the woeful weather conditions of the past month or so.

“We have been able to use Mervue United’s all-weather pitch, and that has been a godsend considering the weather we have been having. With all the rain, grass pitches are virtually out of the equation, but Mervue have been hugely accommodating, even moving around some of their own teams so we could use their facilities – they have been brilliant,” he says. Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.