THEY couldn’t possibly, could they? I mean, all the loose talk in recent weeks has been about an unlikely push for Europe, but . . . no, forget it, surely that’s just too far-fetched. Isn’t it?

Well . . . Galway United host Dundalk in Eamonn Deacy Park this Friday in their penultimate home game of the season, where a win will see John Caulfield’s side move into second in the table, until Sunday at least, when table-toppers Shelbourne take on third-place Shamrock Rovers, where a draw would suit the Tribesmen just fine.

Dundalk come into Friday’s game on a horrible run of form, leaving United as hot favourites to take all three points which would – whisper it – put them right in the mix in the battle for the league title. That is a fact that has seemingly missed the attention of a national media that is focused on the Shelbourne collapse and the St Patrick’s Athletic charge and the drive for five by Shamrock Rovers. And that suits us just fine out west.

All United can keep doing is winning their games and see where that takes them, starting with the easiest game of the lot this Friday, against a Louth side that is all but relegated.

Dundalk has lost five games on the spin and taken just two points from their last eight games. It is a club that almost went to the wall a couple of weeks ago and which continues to be in financial trouble. It is a side United has won all three games against this season, all by the same 2-0 scoreline, and a side which United also walloped 4-0 in the FAI Cup last season, making it four wins on the spin.

Considering all that, it will be a doddle on Friday, right?

“It is a very dangerous game,” Caulfield warns, looking to dismiss any thoughts of complacency ahead of Friday.

“The worst thing for us is they haven’t won a match in the last four or five games, and they will take some result before the season is out. We were probably hoping they would win [last Friday night against Bohemians] to end that run, it has to end sometime, and we have to work very hard to make sure it doesn’t end on Friday.

“They still have players like [Daryl] Horgan and [John] Mountney, they have very good players. For us, it is making sure we have a full house, get behind the lads, who have been outstanding, and create that special atmosphere,” he said.

The game doubles up as a bit of a landmark for United: it will be the club’s 1,700th competitive game, and also marks the 30th anniversary of the re-opening of the renovated Eamonn Deacy Park, when a brace from Ricky O’Flaherty sealed a 2-1 win against Sligo Rovers back on October 9, 1994.

For the United manager, that is all well and good for a chat about in the stands and in the bar beside the old clubhouse at the Dyke Road end of the ground, but it will have little impact in the dressing room.

“For me, it is just another match, another three points. We have to respect that and the opponents and we have to play our own game and be at it from the start,” he said.

Ed McCarthy is expected to go straight back into the side, having started on the bench against Waterford last week, with Caulfield revealing that the Limerick man had been ill all week heading into the trip to the south-east for a game which United almost completely dominated, and were thoroughly worth the win.

“For us, it is trying to finish as high in the table as we can we are a gutsy team, they [Waterford] will be disappointed with the winning goal but for us I felt we deserved it as we totally dominated bar the last 10 minutes, we were on the front foot and really put them under massive pressure.

“We play our second last home game this week against Dundalk, we need a massive crowd and a massive performance again. People are talking about finishing fourth and getting Europe, but Derry need to win the cup for fourth to count.

“We are just focusing on winning the next game, we are not looking anything further than that, concentrate on the next game, and we just hope to get a big crowd behind us,” he said.

ON TARGET: Killian Brouder who was one of Galway United’s goal scorers in their Premier Division away win over Waterford FC on Friday night.