Emboldened by a shock but satisfying start to the season Galway United will venture to the Carlisle Grounds tomorrow searching for a third straight win. Considering it took Galway until July to pocket nine points last season reveals how dramatic this burst of spring enterprise has been.
Considering the youthful make up of the players available to Ian Foster the United manager is chuffed. “The average age of our squad believe it or not is 21, there won’t be many younger than that and with that you get inconsistency from young players.
“But we’re all learning. I’ll be the youngest manager, probably with the youngest squad in the division and we’ll get things wrong at times and hopefully we’ll learn from them.”
Galway haven’t made many mistakes thus far which augurs well. Foster’s organised and methodical approach has ensured Galway have been extremely difficult to break down as two consecutive clean sheets will testify. The ability to graft is critical with Foster emphasising the important roles Jay O’Shea, Derek O’Brien, and Vinny Faherty occupy. "The back five, and Sean Kelly in front of them, are all doing very, very, well. We defend as a unit, as an 11. Vinny's working really hard to keep defences going one way. If Jay and Derek squeeze high up the pitch we can go and get the ball up top and it saves our back five an awful lot of work. When we press and when we play on the front foot we're as good as a lot of teams in this division.”
Foster’s rising confidence in this Galway outfit doesn’t appear misplaced. On a shoestring budget a crafty team has been cobbled together, and while United are gaining in belief Bray can be awkward opponents as they have been involved in two scoreless draws in their fixtures thus far against Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United. Still Galway travel buoyed up by their recent showings and last year’s record against Bray as they outfoxed the Seagulls four times in a half dozen tussles.
“We’ll go down there full of confidence, knowing that it’s a tough game. Before the season I imagine Bray looked at us and thought that would be three points to pick up against a team that will be fighting against relegation. We’ve got to go there and get what we can and hopefully that will be three points, but it won’t be easy.”
The patience Galway have demonstrated en route to their victories has been stirring, and now that the squad has been bolstered further by the signings of the pacy Shane Fitzgerald and Mark O’Toole there is an unavoidable feel-good factor. Replicating the drive and desire that has earned United respect and points is Foster’s task, and to complete a hat-trick of conquests in Wicklow would be a substantial achievement.
