Mervue United going for broke

MERVUE United manager Johnny Glynn insists his side won’t be parking the bus tonight when they travel to City Calling Stadium to take on Longford Town in the second leg of the Airtricity League First Division promotion play-off. 

The Fahy’s Field side head into the game with a one goal advantage, courtesy of last Friday’s 1-0 win over the Midlanders, but Glynn insists his side will look to extend their winning run to eight matches, and set up a two-leg promotion play-off with the side that finishes 11th in the Premier Division.

“We will not go there playing for the draw – we have gone into games needing to win them, such as in Wexford, so the message will be the same: go out and win the game.

“We’re not going to change an approach that has served us so well and has got us to this situation. We are playing some nice football, and to try and change our attitude to a game may affect that. Confidence is high, and the lads don’t want the season to end just yet,” Glynn told Tribune Sport yesterday.

If Mervue win or draw tonight, they face a quick turnaround as the first leg of the Premier Division play-off will be played on Monday night, and Glynn says he and his squad are prepared for that eventuality.

“Yes, it will be a quick turnaround if we come through Friday’s game. I have a plan ‘a’ and a plan ‘b’ for whatever happens on Friday night, and hopefully it will be plan ‘a’ we have to put into action – we’ll bring the lads in on Saturday for a small workout and to assess any knocks.

“The lads will be very disappointed not to finish the job on Friday and make the promotion play-off – they want to extend their season by another week, so hopefully we can pull that off against Longford,” he said.

Mervue have a couple of injury concerns for tonight’s game, with midfielder Gary Curran, and Gary Kelly – an unused substitute last Friday night – both major doubts, after both picked up knocks playing for their respective colleges in Third Level league action this week.

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