United versus City was dreadful but our league is just brilliant..it’s so real, passionate & great

THERE have been so many sliding door moments with Galway United that Ollie Neary is nervous about what lies ahead.

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In John Caulfield and Ollie Horgan, there are two men he rates and trusts, men who have taken his hometown club to their highest place, status-wise, in 30 years.

So, he should be hopeful about the future. Except he is educated in the past.

And any time before that Galway have put together a good team, a bigger, richer, rival has prized their assets away.

You look at the Dundalk team which cleaned up under Stephen Kenny. Stevie O'Donnell was the captain, Pat Hoban the top scorer, Daryl Horgan the best player.

All three were Galwegians.

Then there was the year he was on the Galway team that finished third.

The following season, Noel Mernagh and Peter Carpenter were prized away to St Pat's. Sure enough, the league ended up in Inchicore that season.

So when Neary sees US native Patrick Hickey (inset) progress he sees history potentially repeating itself.