'This is our trophy and we want to keep it' - Galway United lay down marker ahead of All-Island decider

OUR TROPHY: Galway United celebrate with the trophy last year. Pic: ©INPHO/Evan Logan

All-Island success has eluded most codes in Galway lately but there’s a confidence about the mantle being retained by the women’s footballers on Saturday.

Galway United defend their crown by travelling to take on Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium (7.35pm, Live TG4) and manager Phil Trill puts the holders as underdogs.

That will be justifiably dismissed as mind-games considering the Galwegians occupy third in the table compared to Rovers languishing in eight.

That gap was extended by Saturday’s dress-rehearsal 1-0 win for this, the culmination of the competition’s second year. The crossborder initiative was initially introduced to fill the break in fixtures during last year’s World Cup in Australia.

Rovers’ second coming in the national league began then, as did Galway’s spell in its guise as part of the men’s club, but Trill noted contrasting outlooks.

“Rovers came into the league quite bullish, which is what happens when you spend that money and take players from the big clubs,” he said.

“This is our trophy from last year and we want to keep it. We’ve already won at Tallaght this season and beat Rovers again at the weekend and won’t be changing our approach for the final.”

These are buoyant times for football folk in Galway. John Caulfield’s first team are in the conversation to snatch a European qualifying place with 10 games remaining, a remarkable feat as a newly-promoted team, while the investment of the billionaire Comer Brothers has facilitated initiatives like the €5 deal for a match ticket and coach to Saturday’s decider.

“We’ve already filled one bus and hope to have a big crowd,” stressed Trill.

“Rovers won the coin toss for home advantage and should be getting behind this, push a lot of spectators into the ground. I’m sure the FAI league office will do the same.

“We should be past the stage of begging people to come to games. Our squad went down to Pairc Uí Chaoímh for the recent international against France and there were 18,000. This is the big game of the weekend and there’ll be quality players on show.”

Defeats in the All-Ireland finals, GAA men’s and women’s, as well as Sunday’s Camogie decider, have cast the county’s sportspeople into the status of Bridesmaid. Loyal club servant Therese Kinnevey realises the burden of expectation in the last chance of Cup success.

“After losing three All-Ireland finals in the county, winning on Saturday would be a great boost to everybody,” she admitted.