Battling to hold on to the relegation playoff spot in the League of Ireland's Premier Division, at-risk Sligo Rovers will welcome a resilient Galway United to The Showgrounds on Monday.

The Bit O'Red will be hoping to avoid back-to-back defeats, while the Tribesmen will be looking to make it five games unbeaten.

Match preview

John Russell's Sligo have endured a tough campaign to date, and after losing all but one of their last four matches, they could fall to the bottom of the table with another defeat.

On Friday, the Bit O'Red followed up their hope-giving 1-0 victory over Waterford with a 1-0 loss on the road to European hopefuls Drogheda United.

Walking away empty-handed once again has Russell's side ninth with 15 points, a tally that leaves them a concerning 11 away from the guaranteed safety of eighth place and only two ahead of last-placed Cork City.

That being said, the hosts have performed significantly better on their own turf in recent weeks, and they could take heart from the fact that they have lost just two of their last five at The Showgrounds.

A rare win for Sligo could take them five points clear in the division's relegation playoff spot, though defeat would give Cork the chance to overtake and drop them down to the foot of the table.

Meanwhile, John Caulfield's Galway recovered from a dire four-game losing run in early May by recording a four-match unbeaten stretch featuring two wins and two draws ahead of this clash.

Last time out, the Tribesmen beat Conference League-chasing St Patrick's Athletic 3-1 at Eamonn Deacy Park, and the spirit that United showed to hold on to their early lead and avoid any slip ups will serve them well going forward.

The three points that goalkeeper Evan Watts's 10 saves earned on Friday has Caulfield's men seventh in the table, and their tally of 28 means they are a comfortable 13 above their opponents and only five behind third-placed Bohemians in the European spots.

However, as they aim to make up ground on the top three, the visitors will be aware of the fact that they have failed to win any of their five most recent away games, though their resilience on their travels is commendable considering that Galway have lost just twice on the road since October 2024.

An eighth victory of the campaign would be enough to see United leapfrog Shelbourne, St Patrick's and Derry City and move up to fourth in a best-case scenario, while a shock defeat could leave them third-from-bottom if Waterford can take advantage.

Sligo Rovers League of Ireland Premier form:

Galway United League of Ireland Premier form:

Team News

Sligo's poor disciplinary record means that they will be missing a number of players that have accumulated enough yellow cards to earn a suspension, including attacking midfielder Owen Elding, striker Cian Kavanagh and right-back Conor Reynolds.

In their absence, Francely Lomboto should join the trio behind centre-forward Wilson Waweru, while versatile 17-year-old Kyle McDonagh could line up on the right-hand side of Russell's defence.

Elsewhere, Rovers have doubts about the fitness of centre-back Oliver Denham, who has been out since early April, so expect Gareth McElroy and John Mahon to start.

As for Galway, they will be without well-rounded right-flank man Jimmy Keohane, who has been dealing with an injury for the past two months.

With this in mind, United's right-hand side should feature Jeannot Esua at full-back, Vincent Borden in midfield and David Hurley in the frontline.

Sligo Rovers possible starting lineup:

Sergeant; McDonagh, McElroy, Mahon, Hutchinson; Hayes, Hakiki; Mallon, Lomboto, Fitzgerald; Waweru

Galway United possible starting lineup:

Watts; Esua, Buckley, Slevin, Cunningham; Borden, Byrne, Hickey; Hurley, Dyer, McCarthy  

We say: Sligo Rovers 1-1 Galway United

Sligo have struggled this year, but their home record has improved in recent weeks, and they could take a point from this clash.

Additionally, Galway have not won any of their last five on the road, losing two and scoring just once on their travels since late April, and they could find it hard to break down their hosts on Monday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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