United only fire blanks in a tame end to home fixtures

Galway United   0

Longford Town 0

THANK God for small mercies, which in this case refer to the fact that Galway United have played their final home game of the season, and one that has summed up a season of under-achievement – three games against the worst side in the division, and United failed to win a single one of them.

There is a story doing the rounds that the club was set to announce the new manager over the weekend but, having attended Friday night’s game, he has had second thoughts and has withdrawn his name from the process.

It is your typical urban myth, the kind of story that grows some legs partly because the club has allowed a vacuum of silence envelop the whole process of appointing a manager; and partly because, well, it won’t seem so far-fetched for anyone who witnessed Friday night’s game.

It was dour stuff, and while United were the better side and dominated for large parts – an 11-5 shot count in their favour is an accurate barometer of events – it just had a feel that both sets of players just can’t wait to wave goodbye to the season.

It was the third scoreless draw between the sides in 34 league meetings, which was little surprise given that the visitors were relegated on Tuesday night following defeat to Dundalk; while United came into the tie having taking just seven points from a possible 33, a run which included Tommy Dunne losing his job as manager.

The interim management team of Leo Tierney and Gary O’Connor made five changes to the side which started against Wexford Youths the previous weekend, with Conor Winn, Ryan Connolly, Conor Melody, Armin Aganovic, and Stephen Folan all returning to the starting XI.

It was United’s wide men of Gary Shanahan and Kevin Devaney who were United’s biggest attacking threat, hardly surprising given the amount of space Longford left as they pushed up high and narrow in an effort to prevent United building from the back, but the home side didn’t work Paul Skinner in the Longford goal often enough.

Devaney saw a 4th minute effort deflected out for the first corner of the game when trying his luck from a tight angle, though the better option would have been a pull-back to the unmarked Vinny Faherty who was in a better position.

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