Galway United travel to the Carlisle Grounds for another vital SSE Airtricity League premier division encounter against Bray Wanderers tomorrow evening.
Despite taking the lead on Monday evening when Sligo Rovers were the visitors to Eamonn Deacy Park, United only managed a third draw of the campaign.
Ronan Murray's opportunistic goal guided Galway ahead, but Sligo responded with Kieran Sadlier's equalisier earning the Bit O'Red a share of the spoils.
The result means United are still rooted to the bottom of the table, but manager Shane Keegan feels the Tribesmen can stitch a decent run of results together.
"I'll start to properly worry if either of two things happen," Keegan says. "One, if they start pointing fingers at each other, we would be in bother. The other thing is once they stop emptying the tank, the emptying the tank thing is not an opinion.
"They are wearing GPS vests, I see the stats every week, I see the amount of running they are putting in every week. It is top, top notch. When they are empty, they have to be pulled off very quickly.
“Any game at home against a team who are likely to be bottom half, you have to be getting three points.”
Having registered four victories in seven matches, Bray's squad is sprinkled with plenty of capable and experienced players. Peter Cherrie, Conor Kenna, Gary McCabe, Keith Buckley, Aaron Greene, and the exciting Dylan Connolly are accomplished performers at this level.
Last Friday’s success over Derry City at Maginn Park confirmed Bray’s resilience also. “Bray have been real Jekyll and Hyde, they won the first few, then lost a few, but they managed to bounce back with the win in Derry last week,” Keegan remarks.
“By all accounts, from talking to one or two that were at it, I think they got away with it in Derry by doing exactly what we can't do at the minute, which is win a game while not playing well. It is going to be another very interesting game.”
It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for United, who have drawn with Finn Harps, Bohemians, and Sligo. Losses have been suffered against Drogheda United, Cork City and Shamrock Rovers, but Keegan is satisfied with the performance levels so far.
“Cork City was the only team we have played this season who have been better than us. There is a really big positive in that, but there is a really big negative. We have been as good, if not better, than the opposition on five occasions, but we have only three points to show for it.
“I don't know whether you call it game knowledge, I don't know what you call that thing we are missing, but we are missing something, and we know we are missing it. Once you get those first three points, I know it is easy to say it, but you are inclined to think it will take off. We have to get them quickly.”
•Galway Soccer Co-Op is running a bus to Friday's match at The Carlisle Grounds, leaving The Dail Bar, Middle Street, at 3.30pm. Pick-ups can be arranged along the Dublin Road and motorway exits. Contact Stephen Dowling (086 ) 2361040 or Ronan Coleman (087 ) 6972823.
