GALWAY United fans were licking their chops when the draw was made for the Second Round of the FAI Cup after the Tribesmen were handed a home tie with UCD. Now, all that optimism has completely drained ahead of the meeting between the sides in Eamonn Deacy Park this Friday (7.45pm).

United were in good form in the league, having moved to within a point of First Division leaders Cork City and 11 clear of third-placed Waterford FC, when the draw was made back in early August. At the same time, UCD were locked at the foot of the Premier Division with Finn Harps, 14 points behind Drogheda United, so United looked like strong favourites for the cup tie.

Since then, Harps have pulled two points clear of the Students, with the Dublin side winning just three games all season, but they head west to face a United team that must be on its knees in terms of confidence after a woeful run of results of their own that has seen them take just one point from their last three games.

That has not only ended their hopes of the title, but has also given Waterford a chance to snatch second place from them, and while that will mean little in the greater scheme of things – the sides that finished second to fifth will all be involved in the play-offs – it would be a crushing blow to the self-belief in the United squad if they were to surrender second place in the league.

For one thing, it would put them on a collision course with bogey side Longford Town in the two-leg semi-final: they lost to the Midlands outfit in the 2020 play-off final, and have also lost both away games to Longford this season.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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