Galway United manager John Caulfield says there isn’t a hope of him or his players underestimating First Division basement side Longford Town, who travel to Eamonn Deacy Park tonight (Friday) in the Second Round of the FAI Cup (7.45pm).

United made it to the semi-finals of last year’s competition, and outside of drawing a non-league side, the Tribesmen could scarcely have been given an easier tie to make their bow in this year’s staging of the Blue Riband of Irish football.

While United are flying high in the top-flight, sitting pretty in fifth and well within a shout of a top-three finish that would secure European football next summer, tonight’s visitors are a bit of a mess, with just three wins from 24 games to see them sit bottom of the table, three points adrift of Kerry FC.

It all points to the easiest of nights for United, but just as Ollie Horgan did post-match on Friday night after the 1-0 win over Waterford, Caulfield almost choked in disbelief when it was put to him that his side have been handed a cushy number with this year’s draw.

“They beat us last year, not once, but twice, the only side to beat us; and we played them in preseason this year and it was nil-all at half-time, so there is no way we think we will have anything easy on Friday,” he said.

United stepped it up in the second-half of that friendly up in Longford in early February, second-half goals from Leo Gaxha, Patrick Hickey, and Garry Buckley sealing a 3-0 win, and the two sides have gone in completely different directions since that game.

“Okay, we are a Premier Division side now, but they are coming here and they will have nothing to lose, and that can be dangerous for an opponent.

“They have quality players like Shane Elworthy, Karl Chambers, Bastien Hery who we know from his time here, lads with lots of experience who have been around the block a bit, they have good players.

“I always feel these games are about attitude: you have to show them respect, but you have to be on your own game. We’ll make a few changes but at the same time, being a cup game, you have to be right for it.

Pictured: Galway United’s Rob Slevin heads goalwards in last Friday’s win over Waterford FC. Photos: Joe O’Shaughnessy.