Injury-hit Galway United face massive challenge in home FAI Cup tie with Dundalk

WHILE all the talk of a Galway double is revolving around the county’s senior and minor hurlers in their quest for All-Ireland glory next month, Galway United will be looking to complete a cup double of their own tonight when they host Dundalk in the last 16 of the FAI Cup.

Having already knocked the Louth club – and defending champions – out of the EA Sports Cup at the start of the month, Tommy Dunne’s side will be hoping to also end the interest of Stephen Kenny’s league leaders in this season’s FAI Cup when the sides meet in Eamonn Deacy Park (7.45pm).

However, United can expect a very different Dundalk side to the one they knocked out of the EA Sports Cup on penalties on the August Bank Holiday Monday: while that was largely a second string side, the Lilywhites will be expected to wheel out the big guns tonight.

United have no such luxury: an already small squad has been decimated by injuries, which meant three U-19 players started against Drogheda in the league on Monday night, with another five on a six-man substitutes bench that also included two goalkeepers.

“We had 10 players out between suspension and injury, and with all those fellas out, the young lads that came in did fantastically well. Jake Keegan did great up front on his own, and the support he got from Conor Melody and Antaine Ó Laoi was fantastic, as well as from Gary Shanahan.

“That said, we were led brilliantly by Sam [Oji] and Paul [Sinnott] at the back, they made sure we were hard to beat. I know Drogheda had chances, but it was a huge point for us,” Dunne said after Monday night’s draw.

While the transfer window has closed, the club is believed to be trying to sign an out-of-work player to bolster the squad, though that is with both eyes on Premier Division survival, rather than cup progression.

That said, a win against Dundalk tonight would be a massive confidence boost for United’s young squad, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility. United’s home form in the league has been poor this season, with just three wins from 13 games, but it has been a very different story in cup competition.

United have played five cup games this season, all of them at Eamonn Deacy Park, and all ending in victory for Tommy Dunne’s side, and the hope has to be that, free from the pressures of the fight for league survival, they will thrive in a cup challenge against the best side in the country, and cause the shock of the round.

Dundalk ended United’s interest in the FAI Cup at the same stage in last year’s competition, but while they were by far the better side in Oriel Park in that game, Dundalk only scraped through 2-1. Padraic Cunningham’s 81st minute goal set up a grandstand finish, and such was United’s efforts that night that the home support applauded the visitors off the pitch after the final whistle.

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