Galway United aiming for home league victory against struggling Sligo Rovers

IT’S a bit early in the season to be talking about the proverbial ‘six-pointer’, but Galway United need to get back to winning ways when they host Sligo Rovers in Eamonn Deacy Park tonight (7.45pm) in a meeting of two of the bottom three in the Premier Division.

That United are struggling to find their feet in the top flight is no surprise, considering a young and relatively inexperienced squad finished third in the First Division last year before losing two of their best players in Paddy Barrett and Ryan Manning for their return to the top flight.

What is a surprise is the fact that the side propping up the table is Sligo Rovers, two draws and four defeats so far this season leaving Owen Heary’s side on two points and the new manager under serious pressure heading into tonight’s game.

They were also dumped out of the EA Sports Cup on Monday night, losing 2-0 after extra-time at home to Derry City, but they will have targeted tonight’s game as a likely win.

United do go into tonight’s game on the back of a victory, having accounted for Cockhill Celtic in the EA Sports Cup on Monday night, but Dunne says that while that 4-2 win “was a good result, it wasn’t a great performance”.

“We’re delighted to get through to the next round but again we conceded very soft goals, and that is a concern. It’s not helped by the fact we have chopped and changed so much at the back due to injuries and suspensions this season, but we need to tighten up and cut out the stupid mistakes,” he said.

Monday’s game saw a fourth different partnership in the heart of United’s defence in just eight League and EA Sports Cup games, while Ger Hanley’s seasonal debut brought to three the number of ’keepers United have used in that eight game stretch.

“It’s not ideal but what I would say is that when we have everyone back, we’ll be okay. It was the same last season, when at this stage fellas were still getting to know each other. Obviously I had hoped we’d be further down the line in that regards this season, but we will get there,” Dunne said.

Dunne says that one of the things his side has learned this season is the need for patience – it’s just a matter of them heeding that lesson.

“You see it with the top teams, the patience they show. Cork and Shamrock Rovers did it against us, they eased themselves into the game, got settled and then started to play. Our lads seem to just rush into the game from the start, but they put themselves under pressure and we need to get that message across to them, to just get a feel for the game before they start chasing it,” he said.

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