It’s do-or-die for Galway United against Students

Date Published: 07-Oct-2010

Keith Kelly

IT’S not quite win or bust, but it is not far off it when Galway United host UCD in Terryland Park tomorrow night (kick-off 6.30pm) in a game Sean Connor’s side have to win if they are to avoid the relegation play-off at the end of the season.

With just four games remaining in the season, United are in the final play-off position, four points behind tomorrow night’s visitors, and anything other than three points will all but consign them to the play-off series.

The bottom team in the Premier Division will be relegated, with the next two facing each other in a one-off game, with the higher-placed team having home advantage. The winners will secure their Premier Division status, with the losers facing the winners of the First Division play-off over two games to decide the 10th team in next season’s Premier Division.

As things stand, Drogheda United look doomed to relegation, with Bray Wanderers having to play away from home in the play-off against either United or UCD, but Bray are the form team in the division, having lost just once in their last seven games, and that as a result of a 90th minute penalty against Sligo Rovers last Tuesday night.

United, on the other hand, are six games without a win – seven if you count the humiliating 6-0 defeat in the FAI Cup at the hands of Shamrock Rovers – but midfielder Stephen O’Donnell says the mood in the camp is very positive and the players are confident they can still avoid the relegation play-off.

“We have four games left and if we can pick up six or seven points, I think we’ll be okay. The UCD game is a must-win for us, and we have Drogheda away on the last day of the season which we should also win.

“We also have Bohemians at home who we have taken seven points from, and Sporting Fingal away, so the mood with the lads is good, there’s no talk of the play-off, we’re very confident we can climb to safety,” said O’Donnell, who has been United’s best player this season by some distance.