United’s revival continues thanks to terrific fightback

Longford Town 2

Galway United 6

Keith Kelly at Bishopsgate

I mean, where do you start with this one? An appalling opening 30 minutes from the visitors in which they looked like a bunch of hobos who couldn’t kick it out of their way, only to transform into an illusion of magicians who dazzled and delighted with every touch, leaving their hosts looking like that bunch of drunken mugs knocking around the place on Race Week who fall again and again for the 3-card-trick on the rickety table on William Street.

The last time a JC presided over a comeback like this, Lazarus got up off his deathbed and asked Mary and Martha to throw a few extra spuds in the pot as there was a change of plan and he would be around for the dinner after all.

The comeback in question is not just what happened last Saturday night on the Strokestown Road in Longford, but also since John Caulfield took over as manager. Saturday’s game was a perfect reflection of United’s season so far: completely aimless in the early stages, before being utterly transformed by the introduction of a new face at the half-way stage.

In terms of Saturday night, that new face was Carlton Ubaezuonu, who was introduced as a substitute at the start of the second-half and went on to score a hat-trick in a brilliant performance that had the Longford defence turned inside out.

Interestingly, Saturday night’s comeback is not the biggest one to United’s credit. Almost 18 years ago to the day, Tony Mannion saw his side fall 2-0 down away to Monaghan United, only to claw it back to 2-2 at half-time, before going on to hit five without reply in the second-half.

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

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