MATCH PREVIEW | CABINTEELY

Galway United get the 2020 SSE Airtricity League campaign back underway with a home game against Cabinteely on Friday. Kick-off: 7.45pm.

Pat Devlin’s side travel to Eamonn Deacy Park top of the division with three wins from three, having overcome Bray Wanderers, Athlone Town and Shamrock Rovers II.

United saw their first game of the season against Athlone Town postponed due to poor weather conditions. Alan Murphy’s side were then held to draws by Shamrock Rovers II and Wexford before the season grinded to a halt due to COVID-19.

The Tribesmen will aim to bridge the gap on Cabinteely before welcoming former United player Adrian Carberry and his Athlone Town team to Eamonn Deacy Park on Bank Holiday Monday for the re-fixed league fixture.

Galway United manager Alan Murphy acknowledges that it’s a hugely important weekend for the football club.

MURPHY SETS SIGHTS ON A STRONG SHOWING AGAINST CABINTEELY ON FRIDAY
“We’re really looking forward to resuming the season on Friday,” Murphy explained to www.galwayunitedfc.ie.

“The players and staff have worked hard during the lockdown and also since we’ve come back for our second pre-season.

“It’s time for us to hit the ground running on Friday against an experienced Cabinteely side who have enjoyed a very good start to the season before Covid hit.

“Cabinteely will be looking to kick-on and continue their good start, so it will be a very difficult game for us. We’re hoping to showcase the strength that we have in our squad and also the good work that we’ve been doing over the last few months.

“It’s a different league and changed times compared to normal, but we’ll look to have a Friday night at Eamonn Deacy Park where we’ll be able to create our own atmosphere. We hope to perform to the best of our ability and we’ll look to get a really positive result.

“The club has worked very hard to deliver the game to our supporters via live stream, this is hugely important. It’s changing times, there’s a lot of people in the Galway region and further afield that really have been starved of live football and I think this is a really good chance for them to experience that.”

TEAM NEWS
Micheal Schlingermann (knee), Joshua Smith (muscle injury), Joe Collins (shoulder), Enda Curran (hamstring), Conor Melody (knee) and Jack O’Connor (groin) are all sidelined.

United captain Shane Duggan serves the first of his two game suspension against Cabinteely.

New signing Shane Doherty is unavailable to Alan Murphy, the American is still in quarantine.

Alberto Cabanyes is unavailable for the game. Both Dean O’Halloran and Dylan Sacramento have left the club by mutual consent.

Academy graduates Francely Lomboto and Caoilfhionn O’Dea have both signed first team contracts and they’re both available for the visit of Cabinteely.

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan
Assistant: Dermot Broughton
Assistant: Eoin Harte
Fourth Official: Jason Mannix

GALWAY UNITED GOALSCORERS
Conor Barry – 1
Wilson Waweru – 1 (1 LC goal)
Alberto Cabanyes – 1 (1 LC goal)

LAST MEETING
August 16th, 2019 | Cabinteely 0-1 Galway United

Galway United goalscorer: Conor Barry