THERE is a break from the title chase for Galway United this weekend as they head to Dublin on Sunday for a FAI Cup First Round clash that has the makings of being a testy little affair for John Caulfield’s side (3pm).

Bluebell United will host United at their home ground located down a sideroad just off the Red Cow junction on the M50, and while the visitors will be fully expected to come through the game, they won’t take anything for granted against this year’s beaten FAI Intermediate Cup finalists.

It is the 18th time United have been drawn against non-league opposition in the FAI Cup, and they will be fully focussed on making sure it is not the second time they lose to a so-called ‘minnow’, having lost 2-1 away to Cobh Ramblers in the 1980/81 competition when the Cork side were a non-league outfit.

However, the Dublin club have plenty of experience and talent in their squad, including the recently-added Killian Brennan, a player who has won three Premier Division titles and three FAI Cups from his time at Derry City, Bohemians, and St Patrick’s Athletic.

“For us, it is about giving Bluebell the respect they deserve – they got to the intermediate cup final, and they have brought in some very good players like Killian Brennan and other ex-League of Ireland players.

“We have to travel to Dublin and we have to be professional, there is always a bit of magic about the cup, you want to win and get to the next round but we certainly won’t underestimate them. We will need to play better than we did against Athlone, but we will prepare all week for that,” Caulfield says.

United will be hoping for a case of third time lucky on Sunday, as they have fallen at the first hurdle of the Cup in the last two season losing 2-0 away to Shamrock Rovers last season; and suffering a 5-2 defeat at home to Shelbourne a year earlier in Caulfield’s first game in the United dugout, with Brennan’s younger brother, Ryan, scoring Shels’ third goal in that win.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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