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The day of reckoning is at hand
Galway United on the rise.
Judgement Day. Armageddon. The Day of Reckoning. Call it what you will, to football fans, it means only one thing: the last day of the season, when your team has something to play for.
Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking, “What’s he on about? The Premier League’s just started!” I am referring, of course, to our very own Eircom League. And this Friday’s season climax could be one of the biggest in my own team’s (Galway United) history.
Once upon a time, after garnering only two points from the first eight games, we were relegation fodder; now we go into the last game of the season with our destiny in our own hands. We can lose and still stay up. We beat our closest rivals, Finn Harps, 3-0 last Friday in Terryland, to finally leave the dropzone for practically the first time this season.
The second half was purely scintillating; culminating in John Lester’s scorching free-kick, after goals from Mark McCulloch and Alan Murphy. That we had such a win, in dreadful conditions, without the genius of John Russell, injured, and that Jay O’Shea had his most subdued game in weeks, was all the more encouraging.
Friday night’s season-closer sees United travelling to Dublin to play the already-relegated UCD, and Harps host Shamrock Rovers. We are a point ahead of Harps, and our goal difference makes it virtually impossible for Cobh to survive. All we have to do is win if Harps win. If Harps draw and we lose, our goal difference will keep us up.
However, even if a third consecutive season of Eircom League football is secured, the close season will prove to be challenging for Jeff Kenna, Nick Leason and the rest of the off-field staff. O’Shea will almost definitely be sold, probably to Birmingham or Leeds. Plans to go semi-pro could prompt an exodus, with the likes of Lester, Ciarán Foley, captain John Fitzgerlad, and Russell all liable to leave.
As you may know, there has also been some scandal attached to Galway’s relegation fight: St. Pats player Gary Dempsey has admitted to betting against his side in our 1-0 win over them a few weeks ago. Dempsey didn’t play in the game in question, and the bet – which was worth €20 and was coupled with a bet on Man.City to win their game (which they didn’t – he lost the bet) – hasn’t technically broken any rules. There has however, been a considerable shadow cast over our tremendous fight-back from near oblivion. Dempsey, though, insists that the bet was innocent, and has never done anything like that before or since. I would like to believe him, and I think the issue has been blown out of proportion.
Admittedly, there has been a very optimistic, if not arrogant, feel to this article. In all honesty, since I started going to United games in May, I always felt we’d survive. But now, to prepare myself for the worst, I must consider the possibility. In a word, it would be a disaster. We already hardly have two pennies to rub together, so the financial fall-out, from lack of ticket revenue, media coverage etc. would nearly kill the club. Kenna would move to a better club, as his performance would deserve, and any players of a reasonable quality would leave.
However, I have every confidence in Kenna, Jay Russell and the rest of the boys to finish the job this Friday night. And, who knows, if we keep the nucleus of this squad, and get a goalscorer, we could be up the other end of the table this time next year.
By: Ciaran Leinster
Galway United
The Eircom League
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