Lively Galway Utd pull off first win in six outings

Galway United 2

Bohemian FC 0

GALWAY United ended a run of five games without a win on Friday night as they got the result their performance deserved to move, temporarily at least, back into the top half of the table.

Friday night’s visitors moved back ahead of United courtesy of their 1-0 win over Wexford Youths on Monday night; but over the weekend at least, Tommy Dunne’s side could bask in the warm glow of being above the fold in the table as they stay on course for their best season since finishing third in the top flight in the 1993/94 campaign.

Let that sink in for a minute, because there has been a growing chorus of dissent in recent weeks as United’s early season promise was replaced by some poor performances and equally bad results. No-one is happy about that, but to suggest that the bulk of the players need to be given the heave-ho, along with the manager, is simply laughable.

People have very short memories – only three years ago, there was no Galway United in the league, so the fact that until recently, the club harboured serious hopes of qualifying for Europe, it shows the progress being made.

When United returned to the league, an on-field five year plan was drawn up, and Dunne is a year ahead of target in a plan which envisaged promotion in the second season (2015) and a push for Europe in the fourth campaign (2017).

“Top-half is what we’re looking for, it would be a great achievement for this year and progress from last year, but you are always looking for more. We’ve had a bad spell, and its cost us. I think fourth will get Europe, but we need to make sure we’re not getting ahead of ourselves either,” said Dunne after the game.

“We’ve progressed, we are getting better but to go and compete with the top half of the table there are a lot of things that need to be done. We need possibly a bigger budget, a stronger squad, and go more full time than what we are,” he said.

This year saw a push for Europe, and while it has fallen short, the club is in a great place to make a serious charge for Europa League qualification next season and a return to European competition for the first time since 1991.

Crucial to achieving that goal will be tying down the key players who make the side tick, and three of them combined for United’s opening goal on Friday night. Club captain, Ryan Connolly, floated a 66th minute free-kick into the box, which was knocked down by Stephen Folan for his centre-back partner, Armin Aganovic, and the Swede side-footed past the seemingly unbeatable Bohs ’keeper, Shane Supple, for his first goal for the club.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune