Airtricity League of Ireland 1st. Division

Monaghan United  v  Salthill Devon.

Salthill Devon provides the opposition at Gortakeegan on Friday night next.  It is only the Galway’s side second season in the 1st. Division.  They did well to retain their right to play in this Division and would hope to enhance their position this season. Their admission to the league meant that there are three League of Ireland sides now in Galway City, but the set up that Salthill Devon have out at Drom which includes a fine youth academy and excellent playing facilities means that they are by no means the poor neighbours of Galway United and Mervue United.

In the first outing against them at Drom last season Monaghan United had a comfortable 6-1 win but by the time of the third encounter between the sides for the season Salthill had shown a good improvement in form and it wasn’t surprising that they stayed up.

This is Monaghan United’s third game of the season they have taken 4 out of a possible 6 points. This is an excellent performance as they have a number of new players in the panel and a new manager in Roddy Collins.  In the last game against Finn Harps they had to start without a number of players and the side was further depleted when both Conor Mc.Mahon and Alan Byrne sustained injuries during the game. United will go into this game without a full squad but the manager should still be in a position to put a strong enough side out.  An encouraging aspect from last weeks game was the introduction of local Monaghan lad Kevin Loughran and with his coleague Garbhan Mc. Kenna on the bench it looks like the manager has noticed the local talent coming through.! Against Finn Harps, Monaghan United were slow to start but when they did get out of the traps they played some excellent football.  Roddy Collins is continuing the style of football that the side demonstrated so well last season.  They are keeping the ball on the ground and retaining possession.  With just two games played Collins is still finding his way, but even with only two games one can see the progress.

On another positive note the support is getting behind the club, this was something that was beginning to build at the end of last season and there was a good following at Finn Park.

Forecast – Home win.

Kick off at Gortakeegan 8.p.m

Injuries

Alan Byrne

None.

Suspensions:

Declan O’ Brien.

Ryan Brennan.

Last Results.

Next Five Games

Manager Roddy Collins says, “We picked up a good away point against  Finn Harps. We were slow to get out of the blocks in the first half, however as half time approached I believed we were getting the better of things and were unfortunate to go in a goal down from what I though was a very soft penalty in the dying seconds of that opening half.  On t! he resumption we played the type of football that I intend that the side will produce throughout the season and once we got the equalizer I felt that we were going to go the whole way and take all three points.  Unfortunately our main play maker on the night Alan Byrne picked up an injury and had to go off, this compounded the already loss of Conor Mc. Mahon at half time.  We conceded the second goal to easily, the long delay for the injury to the Harps player probably interrupted our train of thought, but our second equalizer was a classic strike by Eric Foley to complete an excellent brace for him on the night.  I believe that the reduction of Harps to 10 men didn’t do us a favour on the night as with only 10 minutes to go Harps closed up shop and settled for the point, otherwise I believe we would have collected all points.  Byrne’s injury allowed me to throw the very young Shane Loughran, he is a great young lad and is an excellent prospect, he has one thing in common with me now, I also made football debut at Finn Park.

Our opponents this week are Salthill Devon. It’s only their second season in Senior Football, they have a very professional set up at in West Galway and now that they have achieved remaining in the 1st. Division I expect them to build on that performance this season and bring the professionalism that they have displayed in developing their youth academy and facilities to their ‘first team’ and  with a good away point to Athlone Town last week they are commencing well  We will definitely not be taking them for granted, through injuries and suspension my side is somewhat depleted but  I believe we can replicate the form we showed in the second half against Harps and get a home win.

Both I and the team appreciated the good away support at Finn Park, keep it going lads and lassies".