Crucial matches are arriving thick and fast for Galway United, so David Hurley was encouraged John Caulfield’s charges chalked up a vital victory over Waterford FC at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Following a disappointing loss against Longford Town, United summoned a defiant response which mattered deeply.
“You need to keep up with the teams because there is such a high standard in this league,” Hurley says. “There are no easy games. If you slip up once or twice you find yourself falling down the league. We just need to focus on ourselves - look at the next match.
“We have Cobh now, we just have to keep going and going with the high standards. If you drop you will get punished as we saw. We need to get that standard up - which we did.”
That is why United were satisfied to deliver a passionate performance on home turf when overcoming Waterford, who had won eight on the spin.
“We are delighted, it was a tough game,” Hurley says. “We knew that was what Waterford were going to bring, they are a good team, they have a few tricky players. After our last two results we were just looking to get back to basics - hard work.
“You could see it out there. It probably wasn't the nicest game on the eye, but everyone gave 100 per cent. At the end of the day, that is what matters, and the three points keep us going in the league.”
United’s attitude and application were key factors in the Waterford game according to Hurley. “We know that if you give Waterford time and space some of their players are magic,” Hurley adds.
“We just needed to get in their faces - to disrupt them. You could see they didn't like it and we got an edge on them in the game. We got a foothold and we were able to build on that then.
“The first half, while it ebbed and flowed, we probably had a few chances, we could have done better. Luckily in the second half we kept going and the goal came, and we saw it out until the end.”
Hurley is now well versed lining out against his former club Cobh Ramblers, who travel west on Friday.
“Especially the way we play so many times against each other in this league,” Hurley replies. “It is always nice to play against them - a few familiar faces. It is about the three points when you cross that line.”
Ultimately, the SSE Airtricity League first division promotion race remains interesting. “We knew that when we got to the last round of fixtures or coming up to the last round of fixtures that you just need to be in the mix,” he says.
“That is where we find ourselves. It is still in our own hands, we have a load of games to play. We know that they are all important games. That is what you play football for, you just have to keep going, keep getting the three points on the board every week to see where it takes us.”
**Listen to the full interview with Galway United midfielder David Hurley on this week’s ‘Cian on Sport’ podcast available on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
