On the eve of the new League of Ireland season Galway United are trying to deal with the harsh current reality of simply surviving as they prepare to host St Patrick’s Athletic at Terryland Park tomorrow night (7.45pm ).
The failure to grant Galway a premier division licence ensured top flight football was within a whisker of being lost to the county, but the appeal brought some tidings of joy. Galway must prepare for another exacting campaign in which manager Sean Connor is forced to stitch a squad together with scant resources.
Connor’s cause will certainly be aided by the impending return of Alan Murphy, who missed all of 2010 with a chronic knee injury.
Ballinrobe native Murphy featured for 20 minutes in last Saturday’s friendly loss to Sligo Rovers and is excited to be nearing a return to competitive action.
“This time around I am trying to get back slowly rather than rushing it as I did before and it was great to get a run out against Sligo. It is important that I build up a bit of confidence about playing again because I haven’t played for almost a year and a half at this stage and it has to be a gradual process. I know that from past experience,” he says.
Murphy has soldiered in the maroon jersey in tough times before, but admits this is a critical period in the club’s history.
“It is going to be a battle from the start - there is no doubt about that. Sean Connor has done really well again to put a squad together in such a short space of time and one or two more fresh faces will probably come in the next few days too. It is going to be difficult, but I suppose that is the nature of the beast in the League of Ireland at the moment. Most clubs are in the same position and we just have to keep going.
“The squad has really only taken shape in the last week to 10 days because nobody knew what was going to happen regarding the licence appeal before that. So it is only now that everyone knows what is going on and it is so important that we have a premier division side in Galway. That is vital and I was extremely concerned that a licence wouldn’t be granted because it would have been difficult to get the drive for another challenge if that had been the case.”
Currently teaching in Colaiste Iognaid, Murphy is not available for the seasonal opener against the Saints on the Dyke Road, but hopes to be involved when Galway visit Oriel Park on March 11 for a clash with Dundalk.
“I won’t be playing against St Pat’s, but I didn’t think I would make it back for that game. It has been tough being out for so long and I need to get my sharpness back.”
Murphy is only nine goals away from equalling Paul ‘Ski’ McGee’s league record, but the former Republic of Ireland schools international is not focusing on that yet.
“At the start of last season I did an interview and said that would be an objective, but I didn’t kick a ball for the whole season. That isn’t an issue for me at the moment. When I have a run of games I can maybe start thinking about that. I don’t want to jinx it and all I want to do at the moment is to get back to full fitness and to start helping Galway United get results and points on the board.”
