United aim to stop the rot

Date Published: 03-Jul-2009

GALWAY United return to action tonight after the midseason break when they host Cork City in Terryland Park (kick-off 7.45pm), with manager Ian Foster hoping the one-week break will stand to his side as they seek a first win in six League games.

First, the bad news – Dublin official Declan Hanney has been pencilled in to take charge of the game, so United manager Ian Foster can expect no favours from the man in the middle. Hanney was the man in charge when he awarded Sligo Rovers what many felt was a dubious penalty in the Connacht
derby back in May, and then sent United midfielder John Russell off for what appeared a perfect tackle.

Speaking after that game, a furious Foster called on the FAI to hand Hanney a suspension because of his performance, but that call fell on deaf ears with a spokesperson for the FAI saying no action was taken against the referee.

Of course, Hanney didn’t cost United that game in Sligo, but rather it was the poor performance of the players, a malaise which has struck down the United squad in recent weeks, making their excellent start to the season a treasure of the distant past.

Four games into the campaign, United were sitting pretty at the top of the table. The…