United boss in no mood for panic after friendly reversals

Date Published: 12-Feb-2010

Keith Kelly

GALWAY United manager Sean Connor is urging fans “not to panic” after his side suffered successive three-goal defeats against what have effectively been junior league opposition in Terryland Park in the past fortnight.United were turned over 4-1 by the Galway & District League Oscar Traynor Cup side a couple of weeks ago, and followed that up with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Mervue United in Terryland Park this past Tuesday night.

To be fair to United, Barry Ryan and Derek O’Brien were the only first-team regulars from last season who started on Tuesday night as Connor fielded a side of trialists for the second successive game, and his hands are tied as to the calibre of player available to him due to the budget he is working off, but on the evidence of this week’s friendly, United look like being in for a long and difficult season.

A couple of players did catch the eye – former Sligo Rovers player Jamie McKenzie put in a solid shift at right back, and given he has also played in the centre of defence and so offers options, he looks a banker to be offered terms.Accrington Stanley defender Bee Ami also showed well in the heart of defence alongside Thomas Heary – who Connor hopes to sign by this weekend – as did substitute Gary Smyth, while Austrian U21 international Ingo Enzenberger is due back for a second trial after impressing in the game earlier this month.

However Connor said that, while he was disappointed to lose the games, he was not overly concerned as preseason games were all about trying out new players, and the two games have “answered some questions for me” in that regard.

“It was a useful workout, but that is all it was,” he said minutes after the final whistle on Tuesday night. “I was disappointed towards the end with how we finished up, thought the first half was fairly positive, but we’re going to get that because we’re still not together. Fitness told in the second half but I wouldn’t have that as an excuse because I thought a couple of the goals were sloppy defending.

“In their defence, we haven’t worked on anything other than running and a small set of games and stuff like that so in terms of how I want the team to play, you’re not really seeing that; in terms of individual roles, you’re not seeing that.“You do expect a bit more from players at this level, so to be honest with you it has answered a few questions I needed answering and I know myself there are five or six players I want to bring in and that we need to bring in and that was very evident on tonight’s display,” he said.

The United manager says he is looking for two central midfielders and “a couple of strikers that will get you more than 10 goals a season” – a relatively low target at first glance, but the fact is the last United player to reach double figures was Barry Moran with 11 goals back in the 2006 season. He has been banging in the goals for Corrib Rangers this season in the Western Hygiene Supplies Premier League, and is surely worth a look by the United management team.

Connor has already delivered on that promise to sign a central midfielder, as City Sport understands that Newcastle native Stephen O’Donnell signed for the club yesterday, which is a huge boost for the season ahead as he is one of the best midfielders in the League.United have also confirmed the signing of Tom King, who was Longford Town’s players of the year last season, as well as Barry Ryan, Derek O’Brien, Cian McBrien, Jason Molloy, Alan Murphy, Ciaran Foley and Jonathan Keane.

Talks have been held held with Seamus Conneely, who is believed to be waiting to see what kind of squad has been assembled before putting pen to paper.Murphy, however, underwent keyhole surgery on an injured left knee recently and has only resumed light running, while John Russell has picked up a leg injury that will keep him sidelined for a minimum of three months, and possibly up to six months, leaving the United squad with a bare look, but that is something Connor promises to address in the next week.

Connor also confirmed that former crowd favourite, Bobby Ryan, will be joining the club for training for the next two weeks, saying he knows he can “do a job for us”“He is an experienced player and I think people underestimate this league, players come in don’t realise how difficult it is, it has moved on.

The ideal situation is you give a couple of young boys a chance but we don’t have that luxury so I need to bring in players who can do a job for us,” he said.It was a different story in the adjacent dressing room on Tuesday night, with Mervue United assistant manager Brendan O’Connor saying he was delighted with the performance on his players.Rory Gaffney – used out wide last season – was brought on up front as a half-time substitute and his contribution was game-defining, scoring two goals in the space of a minute, the second of which was an absolute screamer from 35 yards, while he also set up Mervue’s third goal for fellow sub Gary Curran.Mike Elwood and Eric Browne were solid in the centre of defence, and Pat Huban almost broke the crossbar with a shot right at the end, but it was the performance of Ollie Keogh that warmed most on a bitterly cold night.

The ‘veteran’ player, who is back at the club after missing much of last season, called the shots in his new role of deep-lying midfielder, and the former Galway United player – who looks to be the fittest he has been in years – proved the old maxim that ‘class is permanent’.

“I’m delighted, tonight was about getting minutes into the lads and getting fitness levels up and I think in the first half we bossed it a bit and really bossed the second half, three goals up, and played some excellent football, can’t expect more than that and we’re really pleased,” O’Connor said.

“Overall, over the 90 minutes we were the better team, weren’t looking at results just looking at getting minutes into lads and fitness levels up, and in fairness to them they looked fairly fit. We are back since the middle of January and that has put us in good stead, we know it will be a long hard season and we know we have to be one of the fittest teams in the league, but going on tonight’s performance, when we were missing four or five lads as well, it might be a better season than last year,” he said.

Bar one shot from another United trialist, striker Pablo Rodriquez – who looked good in the air but struggled to hold up possession when the ball was played to feet – which was taken off the line by Alex Lee, Mervue never really looked under threat, and it was Barry Ryan who was the busier of the two ‘keepers, especially when Gaffney came on for the second half.“In fairness to Rory, we had him on the wing left and right last year and this year we are looking at him more down the middle and he scored two goals tonight, the second one was a cracker, and he set up the third and I’m delighted for him,” O’Connor said.

However Keogh’s performance came in for special mention from O’Connor, who said his experience will be crucial to Mervue in the new season.“Ollie is back with us for the last couple of weeks playing in a new role in the middle of the park. He is excellent on the ball and in keeping possession so we are looking at him in that kind of role, sitting behind the other central midfielder and getting on the ball and doing the simple things,” he said.

The east-side club are travelling to Donegal next weekend for a four-day training session which will include friendlies with Fanad United and Letterkenny Rovers, and O’Connor says the next 10 days days will be crucial in the club’s preparations for the new season.