United rise to the challenge with big win over Drogheda

GALWAY United boss Shane Keegan admits he and his management didn’t try to play down the importance of the visit of Drogheda United in the week leading up to the game, but instead they drove home the message of how big a clash it was.

It was a meeting of the bottom two in Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night, but while the visitors played like a side that looks doomed to an automatic return to the First Division, the Tribesmen put in the kind of performance that suggests they will have trips to Oriel Park and Turners Cross next season, rather than Belfield and Tolka Park.

“We decided there was no point in trying to play down the importance of the game during the week, we talked about how it was the six-pointer of all six pointers, we needed to embrace that pressure and show a bit of bottle, stand up to it like men and deliver a big performance, and we did.

“I think that is the first time all season we played very well and won – all the other wins this year, we didn’t play brilliant. I know it was backs-to-the-wall brilliant when we won against Dundalk, but in terms of bossing the game from start to finish, that was the first time we bossed the game from start to finish and won,” Keegan said.

The game was lit-up by a stunning hat-trick from Gavan Holohan, with all three goals coming from outside the penalty area – the first from 20 yards, the second and third from 25 yards out – but the midfielder said that the win was all that mattered.

“It didn’t reality matter who got the goals, it was a must-win for us, and we knew that going into the game. It was a good performance, we are building a bit of momentum now, a bit of confidence, and hopefully we can continue to kick-on,” said Holohan.

“We have quality in the team, if you get in the right areas, the lads will find you, and I was lucky to be on the end of them tonight, but it was a real team performance. It was probably something that was catching us at the start of the season, we were creating the chances but not taking them, and then we were getting punished at the other end.

“We weren’t getting the results we probably deserved but we have been very clinical in the last two games and long may it continue, we keep scoring goals and keep picking up points,” Holohan said.

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