Galway United face daunting task against Derry City at bogey Brandywell venue

THE last thing you need when heading to the ground where you have struggled more than anywhere else is a squad of walking wounded, but that is the task ahead of Galway United this evening when they face Derry City in the Brandywell (7.45pm).

It will be the 50th league meeting between the sides, and the 24th at the venue that straddles the famed Bogside, and it is a ground where United have become bogged down like at no other. The men from the west have won just three of their previous 23 league games on the infamous sloped pitch, and given the injury update coming out of the United camp this week, no-one will be putting any money on them improving that record tonight.

Tommy Dunne could be without up to eight players, with long-term absentees Jason Molloy, Andy O’Connell and Killian Cantwell – who has yet to feature for the club, having joined from Wexford Youths at the start of the season – likely to be joined on the sidelines by Sam Oji (hip), Kevin Garcia (hamstring), Marc Ludden (knee) and Ger Hanley (groin ); while Alex Byrne is suspended following his red card against St Patrick’s Athletic last Friday night.

Peter Hutton’s side were 2-1 winners when the sides met on the opening weekend of the league in Eamonn Deacy Park back in March, Sam Oji’s 19th minute opener cancelled out by two second-half goals for the visitors.

United have won just three times at the venue in the league – 1-0 wins in October 2000 and April 2001 courtesy of goals from Eric Lavine and Billy Clery respectively; and a shock 3-1 win in September 2009 when Dave Cooke, Aaron Greene and Alan Murphy got on the scoresheet.

United went into that game on the back of four successive defeats in the league that season, and while the run of results is not as poor this time around, the side will be short on confidence following last Friday’s footballing lesson served up to them by St Patrick’s Athletic.

The Dublin side were a class apart in Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night, and were full value for their win – United went into the game on the crest of a wave following their own thumping of Bray Wanderers the previous weekend, but the gulf between the top five and the rest of the league was laid bare last Friday night.

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