These are encouraging times for Galway United so David Hurley is delighted to be making a significant impact in the west of Ireland.
Friday’s SSE Airtricity League triumph over Cabinteely at Stradbrook was chiefly about demonstrating character in a testing encounter.
That is why Hurley was thrilled United secured a vital victory in the capital. “You come to these places - Cabinteely are such a hard working team -you can see they have pure grit and determination, they have a good group,” Hurley says.
“It is one of those that is a battle, it is a fight, you know you have to match them, which I thought we did in the first half. Then when you match them you have to get the ball down to play a bit of football going which we weren't really doing.
“It was up in the air a lot, you could see balls going out for goal kicks and throw-ins, everything was going long. Then in the second half we got a bit more structure, we applied ourselves a bit more, we got the ball down.
“We got a number of chances. It was one of those games, especially with the two sendings off and it wasn't too malicious of a game. It was frantic so things like that can happen. Thankfully we got the win in the end, it could be an important three points come the end of the season.”
Throughout an interesting campaign United have shown an ability to glean positive results, regardless of the circumstances.
“It has happened a few times this season where we maybe have not played or has not gone to plan as much as we would have liked it to, but we still got the three points,” he says.
“That is the most important thing, when they add up at the end of the season you think that was such an important win - this could be one of those when you look back on it, especially when it is so tight around the league this season. It will go to the wire, hopefully we will be around there.”
Moving Corribside afforded the former Cobh Ramblers midfielder an opportunity to perform in a full-time set up under John Caulfield.
“It is about consistency which John is always on to us about,” Hurley adds. “In Cobh a lot of the time you might be good for one game and bad for two games, everyone remembers that good one game, but it is about being consistent, week in, week out which is what John is trying to preach to us really.
“You can see even though the last time against Athlone it did not go to plan, but before that we were getting a run going, a bit of consistency. Hopefully we can get a run towards the end of the season.”
Hurley is hopeful that Caulfield, Lisa Fallon, Colin Fortune, and Mark Herrick’s work will be rewarded in the remaining months of the campaign.
“When we came back from the break, that few months before the break you didn't see the benefits of being full-time.
“Then we all turned into athletes; at the start of the season compare our body fats and the way we look, the amount of running, it really has changed us for the better obviously, and I am really enjoying it myself.”
