Relentless Galway United dreaming of spectacular Aviva bonus

It's been a hell of a year for Galway United.

Having lost the 2022 First Division play-off final to Waterford, they dusted themselves down and spectacularly healed the pain.

John Caulfield's team have been almost untouchable this season, cruising to the title in relentless fashion. Now they're two games away from sealing a double.

Galway host Bohemians in the Sports Direct FAI Cup semi-finals at a sold-out Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday [live on RTÉ One, 2.30pm] dreaming of the Aviva Stadium.

Caulfield has built a lean, mean winning machine, their evergreen keeper Brendan Clarke keeping 20 clean sheets over the campaign.

Clarke has won the FAI Cup twice - with Sligo Rovers in 2011 and St Pat's in 2014. He knows what it means to make it to the "showpiece of Irish football", and he wants another taste of it.

"Since the Dundalk game [in the quarters] we've just been focusing on getting the league over the line which we managed to do down in Kerry a couple of weeks ago," he told RTÉ Sport's Adrian Eames.

"We started watching videos of Bohs over the weekend. They have threats all over the park. Look, they're a massive club, a brilliant team. It's a massive test for us.

"It's the showpiece of Irish football. There's many a brilliant player that goes through their career without tasting what a cup final feels like. I've been lucky enough to do it a couple of times. Some of the lads, as the cup games come, they ask, 'what's it all about?'

"It's hard to explain what cup final week is. You kind of have to live the moment to really appreciate how exciting it is. For us, if we get there, it'll be a phenomenal achievement."

Conor McCormack [above] is another experienced head in the dressing room who has been there and worn the T-shirt.