Home misery continues for Utd as Bray pounce late

Galway United 1

Bray Wanderers 2

Keith Kelly at Eamonn Deacy Park

WELL now, the wheels aren’t coming off just yet, but they are certainly starting to wobble enough to cause concern as Galway United conceded an injury-time winner to Bray Wanderers last Friday night to extend their winless run at home to six matches.

Once again, United were made to pay for sloppy, lazy defending, and unless they sort that out fairly lively, a side with aspirations of not only challenging for promotion, but of winning the title outright, can park those dreams for another year.

That is now just three points from their first four home games of the season as United look a pale shadow of the side that stormed up the table last season after the appointment of John Caulfield, going from also-rans to making it all the way to the First Division play-off final.

A similar charge was expected this season, but instead United are delivering the kind of results that got Caulfield the job in the first place, thanks to the sacking of Alan Murphy. It is true that they are ‘just’ six points off top spot, but the fact they have won just once on the pitch so far is a cause for concern.

The attractive brand of attacking play that brought them to the play-off final last season seems to have been abandoned for a more direct approach. It has worked just once, against Cobh Ramblers a fortnight ago, and maybe the style of play needs to be revisited, as there is no point having midfield playmakers in the side if the ball is going to regularly bypass them.

That said, it is not all doom and gloom, and had a couple of breaks gone their way late in the first-half, then the talk all week would have been of United stomping their authority over a so-called title rival and looking forward to a turkey shoot against whipping boys Wexford FC this Friday.

Ruairi Keating hit the woodwork, Carlton Ubaezuonu hit the woodwork, and Shane Duggan blazed high and wide from no more than eight yards out, but when it’s not your night, it’s not your night, and there is a shelf-life to how long you can hold on to those kind of comforts.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.