Galway has often been credited as being one of the country's premier dual code counties. They are proving this again in 2024 but rather than in Gaelic games, it has been shown in the Men’s and Women’s League of Ireland Premier Divisions.
Galway United men are back in the top-flight for the first time since 2017 and thriving by competing in the top half of the table with marquee wins over the likes of Shelbourne and Derry City. In the women’s division, Galway have started in fine form by going unbeaten through seven games with a +17 goal difference.
It is a remarkable turnaround for football in Galway which appeared at a low point 18 months ago. In September 2022 it was announced that Galway WFC would be pulling out of the league due to cost issues ending a ten-year run where they finished between fourth and sixth each year.
One month afterwards, the men’s side were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Waterford in the First Division play-off final to condemn them to their longest ever absence from the top-flight of six years.
But their ascent has been rapid since with Galway United taking the spot of Galway WFC. Year one brought a trophy won in last year’s Avenir Cup and now they are topping this year’s early table. While the men also took silverware in the First Division winners’ trophy by topping the table by 25 points on their way back to the highest level.
However, the paths taken to success on the field for both teams has often looked different, starting with the profiles of the managers in charge.
John Caulfield was a high-profile appointment for Galway United as a First Division side with his previous employment earning two FAI Cups and a league title for Cork City. Coming into this year’s Premier Division season, only Keith Long and Stephen Bradley had managed more games than Caulfield.
While Galway’s women appointed a manager in Phil Trill with no prior experience in senior football, his CV largely based on working with Galway’s underage teams. At 30, he is the youngest manager in the league.
There is also a difference in the style those two managers get from their teams. Caulfield’s men don’t retain a large amount of the ball with an average of just 39.1% possession being the lowest in the league. Even while dominating last year’s First Division they had just the third-most at 52.2%. Their 67.3% passing accuracy is well below next lowest Drogheda United on 71.5%.
Despite low possession their directness has allowed them to have the third most shots per 90 minutes at 10.2. But they are the league’s second lowest scorers (14, two above Dundalk) as they put the lowest percentage of those shots on target – 30.2%. Their style also means they have the highest proportion of attempts from headers at 21.3%.
Trill’s Galway have soared to the top of the table by putting a much higher value on possession. Even last year, when finishing fourth, they had the second-largest percentage of 57.2%. That has increased this season to 58.6% which is just a little behind Shamrock Rovers' 59.4%, which leads that statistical category. They are also second for passing accuracy and passes per 90 minutes.
Last year, time on the ball didn’t always lead to an end product as they were fourth in shots per 90 minutes (12.99) but they have upped that to 14.98 so far to lead that category. Similar to the men, they don’t hit the target as much as they'd like, sitting just sixth with 37.8% accuracy. Their touches in the box per 90 has almost doubled from 13.2 to 22.3, indicating they may have found a new decisiveness to their attack.
Their contrasting styles are also shown by the outputs of their top scorers. Stephen Walsh is a penalty box striker who is fourth in the league in touches in the box per 90 minutes with 4.19. Although just 14th in the league for total shots (32), only two players have more headed attempts than the Galwegian (10) with just four shots taken from outside the box.
On the other side, Jenna Slattery leads the league with six goals and does most of her work outside the box. She has taken 21 of her 29 attempts from outside the area. She also has two assists and leads the league in dribble success at 61.8%.
One similarity in the makeup of their teams is an American influence, the land of John Caulfield’s birth. Goalkeeper Jessica Berlin was fifth last year for goals prevented (2.26) despite just 13 starts and sits sixth this year.
Defensive midfielder Isabella Beletic is fifth with 52 interceptions and aerial dual success (71.43%). Canadian defender Jamie Erickson has played the second-most passes (389) with the sixth-best accuracy (83.55%).
For the men, Vincent Borden is third in the league with 6.22 interceptions per 90. While Patrick Hickey has proved a valuable substitute with only four players being used more than his 11 appearances from the bench.
The two squads are also experienced relative to their opponents, The men have the oldest average age of 27.2, the women have the third oldest on 23.4.
These are exciting times for football in Galway. In a short space of time pride has been restored, trophies won, large attendances achieved and now the prospects of European football in Eamonn Deacy Park for both clubs are very real. Two different managers have shown they know the way to get the most out of their talented squads and the next few months will tell how lofty their fans ambitions can be.
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