Garry Buckley endured a nightmare debut for Galway United back in February. One of the two new faces in the side for the opener against St Patrick’s Athletic, his night lasted just over an hour before he was forced off with an injury.

It turns out he tore his quad in the game, subsequently ruling him out of the next 14 United games before returning to action when introduced as a sub at half-time in the 3-2 win away to Drogheda United last month.

There were two more substitute appearances before last Thursday night, when he made just his second start of the season in the 3-0 win over Drogheda. Again his night ended on 66 minutes, but this time in very different circumstances, after he had a hand in his side’s first two goals, and also went close a couple of times to finding the net himself.

“Was it really about the same time in both games? Wow!” he said in the tunnel under the Comer Stand after last Thursday night’s win, a smile breaking across his face at the synchronicity of it all.

“I think it was four months to my first start, I had a few sub appearances. I just got unlucky in the first game of the season, I tore my quad. Just kicking the ball in the first-half, it came at me. I played on and probably shouldn’t have played on but that’s football I suppose, first game of the season at a new club, you want to do well,” he says of that rainy night back in February.

“That’s the way it goes, it was a long time for me coming back and I’m looking to kick on now in the second half of the season. I was out two years ago with a cruciate for 11 months, so that was tough as well, but beside those two injuries, I have been lucky enough, so I am feeling fresh and looking forward to coming back after the break.”

Like a lot of his new United team-mates, he was heading abroad for a few days during the mid-season break, but unlike the others, he wasn’t holidaying with his significant other, and for very good reason.

“I am going on my stag tomorrow morning. We are getting married in November, so I am heading off to Benidorm for a few days for a bit of sight-seeing, you know yourself, chill out for a few days and back into it next week,” he laughs.

Pictured: Galway United’s Garry Buckley in action against Drogheda United last Thursday. Photo: Iain McDonald.