Galway United Women’s team have a chance to further their title credentials in Eamonn Deacy Park when they entertain Wexford on Saturday (Kick-off 5pm ).
It has been a sensational start for Phill Trill’s side who have accumulated 19 out of a possible 21 points in the league to date. The manager was understandably upbeat in advance of the tie even despite conceding that exam season would provide another test for his side.
“They are [having an impact on availability]. We can’t get away from it. We have a great squad though and I’d be really confident in the players that we have available. There are no excuses. We should be good enough to be able to perform”.
“I think previously with some Galway teams it might have been a case of, if you quieten x, you quieten Galway. I think now we have threats from everywhere. We have so much depth and we have goals from everywhere. I think we have had 13 or 14 different goalscorers”.
“Julian Canny gave me the stat that Jenna Slattery is the only player to start every game since we started last year. We like to mix it up. Players deserve to play. Ais Meaney came off the bench against Rovers and did really well”.
Trill and his staff have created a solid, dependable core but retained the flexibility to move players in and out. This competition is particularly evident in the forward positions with Emily Kavanaugh, Rola Olusola and Meaney sharing minutes up front.
“It’s really healthy. Amanda Smith has come into the mix as well. Julie-Ann [Russell] is competing every day too. I know she has started the season really well but nobody can rest on their laurels. There is so much competition and quality and it gives us a lot of options tactically. You saw against Rovers we were able to change, previously we might have been a bit one-dimensional”.
“The people who are most important are the people you don’t see, the numbers 21 – 25 that don’t play. That’s the secret of any team. They are the backbone. They are busting themselves every week. I just know that the longer the season goes, the more they will become important”.
Eternally enthusiastic and optimistic about his own setup, Trill is wary of the threat that Wexford will carry, one not reflected in their league position he reckons.
“I think they’re very similar to Rovers. Coming away, I was very impressed by Rovers. There are one of only three teams to have won the league and you have to pay them [Wexford] that respect. Even if you look at current stats, they’ve been in every game”.
“They have only lost by the odd goal. There has been no game that hasn’t been within their reach. They’re going to be difficult to break down, fit and aggressive”.
United’s last home game in the league was over a month ago when they shattered the domestic league attendance record. It is crucial for the manager, squad, club and game that this trend continues.
“It is important that DLR [Waves] wasn’t a flash in the pan. It is important we build a legacy on that. I’d be expecting a big crowd there on Saturday because we are where we are. The ladies are breaking records every week”.
“We are in such a positive place. The schools are off. The weather will be good. I think people need to get behind it. I don’t want them arrive late to the bandwagon. Get on now because the ladies are so special and we are doing something special”.
