John Caulfield’s side out to avenge pair of defeats last year on all-weather surface in Athlone

Only once before in the club’s history has Galway United won its first three games away from home. They travel to Lissywoolen on Friday night to take on Athlone Town (7.45pm) looking to match that achievement from a 1992/92 season which ended with the First Division title, and should history repeat itself on Friday, history could also repeat itself come October.

John Caulfield bristled after Monday night’s win over Treaty United at the suggestion that, having come through the start of the season against the teams expected to be challenging for the title, he was now looking at back-to-back games against sides that not many expect to be in the running for honours.

It was Caulfield himself who said after the opening with win away to Cork City that he felt Waterford and City were the top two contenders for the title, followed by the Uniteds of Galway and Treaty.

A month into the new season, it is Waterford, United, and City that are setting the pace, so just like matters on the pitch, Caulfield seems to have got it right on the predictions front as well, but while you can give all the respect in the world to your opponent, United need to be taking six points from the next two games – they are away to Longford Town on Friday week – if they are to maintain this brilliant start to the season.

They won’t find it easy on the artificial surface at the Athlone Town Stadium, a surface Caulfield admitted he is not a fan of, and they won’t need reminding of the 3-1 and 1-0 defeats they suffered in the Midlands last season.

“They are the only team in our league that plays on an all-weather surface, so it is a different kind of game. Last year, on two occassions, we were very poor, so we need to do a lot of work in the next few days for Friday night,” he said after Monday night’s thrilling win over Treaty United.

“I know we have to be better than we were last year, hopefully we will be. We have a really good bunch, a really honest bunch, and that’s all you can ask for. There is no pressure here, we are all trying to make the club better, we are trying to bring a belief and a team to represent the city and county and the community,” he says.

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

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