GALWAY people everywhere will be hoping to hear the words to the song N17 being belted out in celebration on the northside of Dublin on Sunday afternoon, but for some, that stretch of road holds a different significance this weekend.

A route made famous by the Saw Doctors, the road connects Galway and Sligo and is the one most Galway United fans will take this Saturday for the Connacht derby with Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds (7.45pm), when the visitors will bid to end a horrible run of form at the ground.

You have to go all the way back to 1996 for United’s last league win at the venue – that was two years before John O’Mahony (God be good to him) led the county out of the Gaelic footballing wilderness, and United’s hopes will be pinned on another John to end their own barren spell at the home of their provincial rivals.

“Sligo are going brilliant at the moment, they have had some fantastic wins in the last four or five weeks, their form has been tremendous, but thankfully we have been good as well.

“It is great to see the two teams neck-and-neck, it will be a huge challenge in Sligo but I think we will have a massive crowd behind us, and our form has been good. It will be a very exciting game between two in-form teams,” United manager John Caulfield said this week.

He was speaking after United had played a challenge match with a Mayo League U-21 XI, United winning 2-0 thanks to two penalties, but the result was of secondary importance: the game, played at the wonderful facilities of Moyne Villa in Headford, was all about getting game time into players.

“Moyne Villa, what a club, they have brilliant facilities here and they are so helpful and so good. The pitch was in incredible condition, and they couldn’t do enough for us. They have been outstanding helping us.

“Jason Gavin [Academy director with Moyne Villa] is there, we came in to do a session at 4.30pm with the lads who didn’t feature in the game and he was there waiting for us, they club has been so good to us, so welcoming,” he said.

Pictured: Galway United’s Garry Buckley eyes up his options against Emmanuel James of Longford Town during Friday’s FAI Cup tie at Eamonn Decay Park. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.