Suspension rules Breen and Guthrie out

Date Published: 02-Oct-2009

STEPHEN GLENNON

GALWAY United will hope to bounce back from their three-goal hammering at the hands of Dundalk last weekend when they host bottom club Bray Wanderers in a pivotal Premier Division clash at Terryland Park this evening (7:45pm).
Although United’s slim hopes of European qualification ended following their 3-0 defeat to Dundalk at Oriel Park last Friday, Ian Foster’s charges can secure their place in the Premier Division for another season with a victory over their visitors tonight.
Form this season would suggest that the Westerners can pick up the points on offer, having drawn 2-2 away in their first clash, winning 3-0 in the corresponding home fixture, before taking further points on their return visit to Bray on a scoreline of 2-1 in July.
Two players to feature prominently in those games were central defenders Garry Breen, who was on the mark in the teams’ last meeting, and Shane Guthrie will unfortunately miss tonight’s clash due to suspension.
However, United will be boosted by the call-up of another of their defenders, Seamus Conneely, to the Republic of Ireland U-21 squad for their two UEFA European Championship qualifying matches to take place in October.
Ireland will face Georgia in the Tallaght Stadium on October 9, before travelling to Waterford to face Switzerland in the RSC on October 13. In addition to Conneely, the squad also includes former Galway United captain Jay O’Shea, who, of course, is now plying his trade with Birmingham City.
Meanwhile, with just seven games remaining this season, a victory for Galway United is vital in easing any relegation worries they may have, particularly as their other games against clubs below them – namely Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United – are both away.
They also have still to face the top four teams in the final run-in, although just one of these, the clash against Shamrock Rovers, is away. The remaining ties against Derry City, Bohemians and Cork City, their final game, will go ahead in Terryland.
Of course, when United and Bray last met it was Jay O’Shea who struck for the winner as late as the 90th minute, after Breen had earlier tallied the equaliser. With both of these missing for this evening’s clash, Foster will have to look to other players to produce the goods.
In this regard, an onus will be on strikers Vinny Faherty and Jason Molloy – both of whom have scored against Bray this season – along with the likes of Cian McBrien, who has a knack of finding the net against the Seagulls, having scored in both the 2-2 draw and the 3-0 victory earlier in their campaign.
No doubt, if a re-jigged United defence, which will more than likely be anchored by Conneely and Sean Kelly in the centre half berths, can hold Eddie Gormley’s unit early on, the home team should have the resources to graft out a victory.