GALL’ SET FOR A TIGHT FINISH
MICHAEL GALLAGHER reckons there could be a mini-boom in sales of half-and-half scarves around Letterkenny as the relegation battle reaches a climax.
The Donegal native comes from a Finn Harps-supporting family.
But their allegiance will be severely tested as the Ballybofey men go toe to toe with Gallagher’s Students in a bid to dodge the drop.
The two sides even meet on the penultimate weekend of the season, adding further intrigue to the tightest of fights to avoid the drop.
But first up, Gallagher and his UCD pals are in action away to Bohemians as they bid to stretch what is currently a one-point advantage over Ollie Horgan’s side.
Asked who his family will be backing in the run-in, Gallagher replied: “Hopefully now they’ll be supporting UCD, but you’ll have to ask them.
“Maybe they’ll be wearing half-and-half scarves.
“Harps is the local team, so we went down to watch them when I was younger. The family followed Harps, but hopefully they’d be more UCD now than Harps.”
Both sides suffered defeats in their most recent outings — UCD away to Shamrock Rovers and Harps at home to the Students’ hosts this evening.
“Going into the run-in, every game is going to be massive,” Gallagher continued.
“It’s only a point down there, so every game is going to be huge.
“And we still have a game to come up there (in Finn Park), so it’ll go to the wire. But we are looking forward to it.
“Hopefully, going into that we can put ourselves into a good position and then if we get something out of the game it could be massive.”
Wherever UCD play next season, Gallagher will kick off the campaign in Belfield.
He has just started a Masters in Management Consultancy — a oneyear programme.
“We are in three days a week, so lectures would be three or four hours long,” he explained. “But there is a lot of group work as well.
Ramp
“Moving through the year that’s going to ramp up with assignments and stuff.
“At the minute it’s three days a week, it’s not the worst. I can’t complain too much.”
Gallagher, meanwhile, sent his best wishes to former team-mate Liam Kerrigan, who had to pull out of Ireland’s Under-21 play-off against Israel with a torn ACL.
The winger picked up the injury with his new Italian side Como.
Gallagher backed the Sligo native to make a speedy return: “I’ve not come across too many players with a better attitude than Liam.
“It’s devastating for him, coming at a time when he was breaking in and doing well. I think he was on for his third start in a row.
“But listen, he’ll come back stronger from it.” (left)