League Preview: Bray Wanderers -v- Galway United

Saturday afternoon will see Galway United go up against struggling Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.

 

BRAY WANDERERS

The Seagulls’ caretaker manager Harry Kenny is still seeking just his second win with the Wanderers having surprisingly picked up all three points against St. Patrick’s Athletic in his first game in charge.

 

Claiming the third leakiest defence in the division – with 21 in their goals against column – Bray will need to be at their most impermeable to keep out the high-scoring Tribesmen.

 

Speaking in the build up to the game, Kenny was under no illusions regarding the task at hand on Saturday.

 

"Galway have enjoyed some great results from the opening round of fixtures and I expect a very difficult game on Saturday evening,” he said.



 

“I have really enjoyed the challenge since becoming caretaker manager. The support from everyone involved with the club has been first class and our priority is to improve our current league position.

 

“It is also important that we have the experience of Dean Kelly, Ryan Brennan and Alan Byrne returning from injury".

 

 



GALWAY UNITED

Galway will travel to Wicklow hoping to reverse their recent run of results, having lost back-to-back league games for the first time this season, after falling to defeats against league leaders Dundalk and most recently St. Pat’s.

 

With 18 goals to their name, the Tribesmen are the Premier Division’s third highest scorers in 2016, with just Dundalk and Cork City outscoring them, but keeping goals out at the other end has become a problem in recent games having conceded nine times in their last four matches.

 

"We've been through a difficult patch," United boss Tommy Dunne admitted to Galwayunitedfc.ie

 

"Our recent run of results may have stemmed from the Longford Town game that we should have won.

 

"Travelling to Dundalk was always going to difficult. In the St Pats game, I thought the performance up until Sullivan's sending off was good and we looked like we were the only ones that were going to score.”

 

With their recent slump in mind, Dunne was quick to point out that the trip to the Carlisle Grounds will not be easy.

 

"Playing Bray away will be very difficult,” he said. “We understand the task, it's going to be another tough match.

 

“They didn't have the best start, they've had a tough run of games of late. We're going to Bray expecting a tight game and we're under no illusions about that.

 

"We've been giving away sloppy goals lately, I want us to eradicate those mistakes quickly. It's not good enough."

 

Referee: Adriano Reale.

 

 

MATCH STATS

With recent meetings in mind, Saturday’s visitors will be looking for more of the same when they arrive at the seaside, having already comprehensively beaten Bray this season 4-0 when the sides met in Galway back in March.

 

The last time the two met in Bray they played out a 1-1 draw in October, when John Sullivan, now of Galway, gave the Wanderers the lead only for Gary Shanahan to level proceedings within three minutes of the deadlock being broken.

 

 

BETTING

Bray Wanderers 15/8; Draw 9/4; Galway United 7/5.

 

PREDICTION

Expect both sides to score but Galway to just edge it. 1-2.

 

 

Bray Wanderers

Injured: Mick Daly, Paul Finnegan, Conor Earley.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

 

Galway United

Injured: Stephen Folan (back), Ryan Connolly (calf), Padraic Cunningham (knee) and Enda Curran (ankle).

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: John Sullivan.