ANALYSIS | Galway discover their attacking groove
Okay, it is only one game into the 2024 SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division season but there is still a lot for Galway United supporters to get excited about.
The 2-0 victory away to Athlone Town jumped out from the Round 1 results but the performance registered by Phil Trill's team is what should really get pulses racing. At least for those wanting to see the Tribeswomen thrive this year.
Set up in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-3-2 system - which evolves depending on whether they are attacking or defending - the most eye-catching aspect of their set-up is the frontline consisting of Aislinn Meaney on the right, Julie-Ann Russell on the left and Lynsey McKey in a false nine / central role.
The trio were superb, from the first minute, in Athlone Town Stadium. It was their aggressive pressing and quick transition play that helped Galway achieve an XG of 1.74 as they dominated possession (55%), attacks per minute (0.52) and total passes made (410).
Meaney was outstanding throughout the game and Athlone didn't know how to deal with her. She rattled the side netting on 12 minutes with a shot from close range after drifting into a good position. Then there were her roving runs off the ball and excellent play - and cross - to set up Eve Dossen's headed goal.
Russell too registered an impressive shift as she showed flashes of her old self with top class ball mastery, dribbling and clever running. If she can build up a run of form then Galway will have one of the best players in the League at their disposal.
However, McKey is the unsung hero in this new-look attack. She knows when to drop back to provide defensive cover, when to make a run forward (as she did to win the penalty that Jenna Slattery converted) and when to link play with her short passing (75% pass accuracy indicates how good she is at that). With 68% of their attacks coming through the middle of the pitch, the veteran really is key to their play.
Just behind the frontline is a midfield who are mobile and work well on both sides of the ball. Slattery stood out in the Athlone game due to her bursts forward, where she clearly has a good understanding with McKey as they can cover for each other to ensure gaps are not left behind.
Trill will have encouraged his team to keep control of the ball and to move it forward as quickly as possible to put Athlone under pressure. But the real highlight of their approach was their pressing, which saw them make 44 recoveries in the opposition's half of the pitch. If they win possession higher up the pitch, then it sets them up nicely to either shoot on sight of the goal or move into positions to get in behind the other team's backline.
Also, they had the exciting trio of Rola Olusola, Emma Duffy and Jodie Griffin in reserve for this first win. They can be good impact players to bring speed and creativity to a game when legs start to get tired or if Galway come up against a stubborn defence. So, there are plenty of options available to them.
Simply put: Galway look good. They are well set up, determined to seize control of a game and look to have find the right flow in their play. Could this be the year when they truly emerge as a title contender?
