Tuesday was always going to be a revealing night for Galway United and Sean Connor’s team responded to the considerable challenge of a relegation play-off by delivering a polished performance that earned a deserved victory.
Premier division football will be available in Galway again in 2011 and this success owed much to the pragmatic manner in which manager Connor and assistant Gareth Gorman had their troops primed for battle. At full time goalkeeping coach Tom Lally, one of the greats of the Galway game, punched the air in delight for this was a win that will have significant ramifications.
Karl Sheppard’s 16th minute goal was a moment of smooth opportunism and, though Galway might have added to their lead, Connor was charmed with what his players produced.
“To be fair we worked hard on our game. We knew they were going to be a big team, that they were going to go direct, so we tried to keep the ball on the ground, to play to feet, to keep the ball moving as quickly as we could. We did that for the majority of the game.
“They had a 20 minute spell at the start of the second half when they threw things into the box, but I cannot really remember one clear cut opportunity where I felt they were going to score. I think we created a few - Derek O'Brien with the mazy run created a good chance and he should have scored the second opportunity too. We did play some nice passing, controlled football.”
That was certainly the case as Galway contributed handsomely to a decent encounter seizing the initiative in the 16th minute. Jamie McKenzie, smashing at the back, skipped forward to whip in a threatening right wing cross which located O’Brien, who forced Matt Gregg to make a save, but Sheppard tucked the rebound away and Galway were never seriously troubled thereafter.
Sheppard’s pace vexed the visitors and Bray defender Adam Mitchell saw red for a foul on the striker on 82 minutes. Although United’s O’Brien was also dismissed in stoppage time, it scarcely mattered.
Connor is already planning for next season, hoping a sensible budget can be put together to bring Galway to the next level.
"When you see what a game like this creates, it is strange. I would love to turn a relegation play/off into something more meaningful by trying to win trophies. If people start coming in good numbers, that would be great.
"That is the best team I have had on the pitch for 10 games - that is the sad thing about it. If we had that type of a team every week, we wouldn't have been in this situation. In saying that, we might not have had the night we had and the atmosphere. At the end of the day my job was to stay in the division and to change the structures underneath and that is what we have done and what we are doing.
"I am going to sit down with the board and see what we can do next year. At this moment I have no intention of going anywhere. I don't want to be in this situation again next year and I don't want to have to work the way I have had to this year so I am going to ask the board to be a little bit more demonstrative with their support to give me an opportunity to entertain these people on a more regular basis.
Connor says he will also be talking to his players in the hopes of keeping the squad together.
“ We have some good young players whose futures I want to sort out. I have my eye on one or two I want to bring in and I have been to England on one or two visits recently and I have players lined up from there. It is up to the board to give me an opportunity to get this club into the top five and, if they give me anything reasonable, we can do that.”
Galway United: Ryan; Sinnott, McKenzie, Meynell, Walsh; Curran, Conneely, O'Donnell, O'Brien; Molloy (King, 72, Keane, 90 ), Sheppard.
Bray Wanderers: Gregg; Doyle, Mitchell, Webster, Massey; G Kelly (Tresson, 77 ), D O'Connor, Dempsey, J Kelly; Shields (O'Neill, 46 ), Shaw.
Referee: D Hancock (Dublin ).
