IT is not over-stretching things to suggest that Galway United’s season hinges on their trip to Turners Cross this evening when they face basement side Cork City (7.45pm), knowing that defeat could see them slipping into the relegation play-off slot by the end of the weekend.

Defeat for United, coupled with a win for Sligo Rovers over what is likely to be a jet-lagged Shelbounre side 24 hours later at the Showgrounds, could see United ending the weekend in the relegation play-off spot, just four months after sitting joint top of the table with the only unbeaten record in the league at the end of March.

They’ll get a good feel for where they stand tonight, as they face a side who only a week ago blew a 2-0 lead at home to Sligo to lose 3-2. That will surely have drained any remaining confidence the Rebels have of avoiding automatic relegation, and their plight took an even gloomier turn during the week when it was confirmed that their teenage sensation, Cathal O’Sullivan, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in that defeat last week.

United on the other hand, are finally getting some good news on the injury front, with Jimmy Keohane making his first United appearance since late April when coming off the bench last Friday in the defeat to Waterford; while Patrick Hickey may also feature in tonight’s match-day squad.

Speaking after that defeat last Friday, United manager John Caulfield lamented the drop in concentration levels of his side, and admitted that some changes might need to be made for the trip to Cork.

“Are we under pressure? Of course we are, but we are under pressure since the start of the season. I always said this year it was going to be a helter-skelter league and its proving that way.

“We have to do a bit of work, see if can we rejig things a bit. Yeah, a lack of guys’ concentration, not putting their bodies maybe on the line as much as they would have done before and that’s something that, you know, we have to deal with,” he said.

United have abandoned the four-man backline that served them so well last season, opting for a formation with three centre-backs this season, but while he admitted it was a good question, the United manager was reluctant ascribe the blame United’s poor form to the change in tactics.

“We played a back four for, I think about nine games this year, we didn’t keep a clean sheet. Looking at the goals tonight, if we play two at the back or six at the back, you could defend the goals we gave away tonight, you know.

“Two long balls over top and a free-kick into the box. They’re basic. Giving a soft penalty [from] a long throw into the box. There wasn’t the spectacular strike from 30 to 40 yards, so I think whatever we play, anyone should be able to defend those scenarios.

“Is it changes in the team? Is it, you know, some people leaving and some people coming in? Is it guys being lazy? It is a number of factors, but the bottom line is when balls come into the box you have to defend [them], long balls 40 yards over the top, if you are 60 years of age you can step back and defend that.

“Letting it go or gambling on it, thinking that someone else is going to deal with it, you can’t do that and you have to be decisive and that’s probably what it needs to be – decisive.”

United added Stephen Dooley to the squad during the week before the transfer window closed, meaning that four of the five-man midfield that started for Caulfield’s Cork City in their FAI Cup final win over Dundalk in 2017 are now on United’s books.

The midfielder joins former team-mates Conor McCormack, Jimmy Keohane, and Garry Buckley at the Tribesmen, with Caulfield hoping they can rediscover some of their former glory to steady a listing United ship.

“We have a massive game again [against Cork], we have to get our act together, we need our concentration levels. You have to walk out on the training ground, go back to making sure that you can block crosses, defend set-pieces, defend crosses and that’s something we were really good at. The only way is you get back to the training ground and work hard,” he said.

A supporters bus to the game  will depart from McGinns, Woodquay at 3pm.

Seats can be booked by contacting Ronan Coleman at 087 6972823, or Dominick Walsh at 087 9163438.

Pictured: Galway United’s Aaron Bolger at full stretch against Conan Noonan of Waterford during Friday’s Premier Division clash at Eamonn Deacy Park.  Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy