Slow-starting Galway United fall to poor home defeat

Galway United 1

Bohemians 2

THE midseason break kicks-in after this weekend’s series of fixtures in the League of Ireland, and it might be an idea for someone at Galway United to arrange a movie night for the players to sit them down and watch The Sound of Music, with particular emphasis on the song Do-Re-Mi.

The opening two lines in the song are “Let’s start at the very beginning/A very good place to start”, a concept which appears alien to United’s squad this season, and particularly so on Friday night.

For the opening 45 minutes of this relegation six-pointer – and make no mistake about it, this was a must-win game for both sides – United were absolutely woeful, so bad that for the first time this season, there were some ‘boos’ from the crowd as the players left the pitch at half-time.

They did improve in the second-half, but 45-minute performances are simply not acceptable, and if they continue in this vein, then they’ll be back down in the wastelands of the First Division for next season.

Bohs had lost all four of their previous visits to Eamonn Deacy Park since United rejoined the league in 2014, and the infuriating thing is they didn’t have to work all that hard to end that run on Friday night.

Shane Long’s side were there for the taking, as have been a number of other teams who have visited the Dyke Road venue this season, but once again, United were found wanting as they suffered a second defeat in five days to leave them one place off the bottom of the table on goal difference only.

The management must accept some of the blame on this one as well – they didn’t say it in so many words, but they had clearly written-off last Monday’s trip to the Tallaght Stadium so as to concentrate on getting the win against Bohs.

It was hardly an ideal way to mentally prepare for either game: Monday being a case of ‘ah sure, we’re not too bothered’ but then going into Friday’s encounter with a massive weight of expectation, and if there is one thing we know about United this season, it is that they rarely deliver on expectation.

They were 2-0 down at the break on Friday night, and while you have to credit Bohs ’keeper, Shane Supple, with keeping his side’s nose in front in the second-half, United had given themselves too much to do and got exactly what they deserved for their poor approach, both during the week, and on the night.

The visitors started the brighter in what was a scrappy opening period, and took the lead in the 5th minute with the game’s first meaningful attack.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.