In-form United relishing chance of ending long losing run against the Hoops

IT’S a long time, 21 years, but that is the gap Galway United will look to bridge tonight when they travel to the Tallaght Stadium to take on Shamrock Rovers (8pm) and close the gap on the top two in the table.

Something has to give in Oriel Park tonight when table-toppers Dundalk host second-placed Derry City, so United know a win will see them move up to second in the table and continue their impressive – and somewhat surprising – start to the 2016 campaign.

However, the last time United defeated the Hoops in Dublin was all the way back in October 1994, when goals from Ollie Neary and Ronan Killeen sealed a 2-1 win in the RDS, the last of four different Dublin grounds where United have beaten the Hoops, along with Milltown, Dalymount Park, and the memorable 1991 FAI Cup win in Lansdowne Road.

Throw in the fact that United have lost 11 successive league games against Shamrock Rovers; their last win over the Hoops was back in 2006; and Tommy Dunne has never managed a side to a win over the league’s most decorated side, then all the odds appear to be stacked in favour of Pat Fenlon’s side.

There is the well-known saying, however, that you can prove anything with statistics, and the fact is that United travel to south county Dublin full of confidence to take on a side that has failed to catch fire so far this season.

United have taken 10 points from their opening five games, their only defeat coming against Derry City courtesy of an injury-time goal, and against Bohemians last Saturday, Dunne’s side showed they can now grind out results, something that was missing from their arsenal last season.

Vinny Faherty’s strike settled matters last Saturday in a game that wasn’t for the purists, but that was the kind of game United failed to close out last season, so this new streak in the side is something that pleases Dunne.

“You’re right, that was the kind of game we mightn’t have taken anything from last year, but I thought we showed a good hunger to get the win. Look, it wasn’t pretty, but as you said yourself, it wasn’t a beauty contest, it was a game of football and no-one will remember what kind of game it was at the end of the season, just the fact we got the three points,” Dunne told City Sport yesterday.

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