The Galway footballers head to Pearse Park in Longford on Sunday (2.30pm ) to take on Monaghan in round six of the National Football League.
The venue may be subject to change if Monaghan appeal the location of the fixture and anyone intending to travel to the game should keep an eye on the venue details later in the week.
Regardless of the venue, team selector Donal O’Flatharta is hopeful Galway can learn from last week’s defeat to Tyrone and push on to get two vital points this Sunday.
“There has been no real consistency in the results between most of the teams - apart from Tyrone [who are on full points]. Monaghan went down to Westmeath last weekend and Meath were beaten by Derry, so most teams are capable of beating each other and we know that as much as anyone,” he says.
“Things are very tight in the division and, with a couple of wins, we could find ourselves in division one. Alternatively, if results went against us, we could find ourselves facing relegation. There is very little between six or seven teams and it is all to play for with two games left. From that point of view, Sunday is a huge game for us and one we are totally focused on.”
O’Flatharta insists Galway’s destiny lies in their own hands.
“It is a situation that we are in control of, which is a good thing. We are just worrying about our own camp and that the mood remains positive and upbeat and that everyone knows what is at stake over the coming few weeks. We were very disappointed last weekend we did not get something out of the game, and we have a chance to rectify that next Sunday. We had a few goal chances in the second half to really put it up to Tyrone and if we had taken one or two of them, who knows how that game would have ended?
“However we are only looking ahead to next weekend now and are focusing on our own work rate and what we are trying to achieve against Monaghan. We are travelling to take on Monaghan, and if the game is in Longford that is better for us from a distance point of view. However, regardless of where the game will be played, we are targeting a win.”
Two points this Sunday would ease the threat of relegation, he says, giving Galway “a real chance” of promotion if they do well against Kildare.
“Sunday is a key game for us in the overall context of the league and we will be giving it everything to try to get a win.”
Galway will select their starting team later in the week. Apart from long -erm injuries to Michael Meehan and Fiontáin Ó’Curraoin, who needs surgery on his ankle and will be out for at least eight weeks, and Conor Doherty (hamstring ) and Seán Armstrong, they have a full squad from which to select. Galway are evens to come home with a win.
