Kildare County FC -v- Finn Harps FC
Credit:
Finn Harps return to life in the League of Ireland First Division when they travel to face resurrected Kildare County at Station Road on Saturday night (kick-off 7.30pm).
Trapdoor
While Harps quickly fell through the trapdoor after only one season back in the top flight, Kildare also suffered relegation from the lower tier and looked destined for the A-Championship. However, the Thoroughbreds, thanks to Cobh Ramblers’ inability to obtain a First Division licence, gained a reprieve and can only improve on last year’s disappointing last-place finish.
Merry-go-round
Kildare have had three managers since last October with the latest, following in the footsteps of John Ryan and Tony Cousins, being Thomas ‘Cooper’ Donnelly, who hopes his players will show a bit of pride in the County jersey. “We are a committed team and we have trained hard, so I have told them to go and enjoy the game and remember that they are playing for their county,” Donnelly said.
‘Slight disadvantage’
However, the new boss laments the fact that the club were only informed of their league status less than three weeks before the start of the season. “I'd rather be in the First Division than the A-Championship but we are at a slight disadvantage because all the other clubs knew they were going to get their licence while we were preparing for the A-Championship,” he told the Leinster Leader.
Handcuffed
“When we found out we were in the First Division it was 16 February and the only players I could attract were free agents or players that I had asked in for the A-Championship,” he added. “There's some good players around with Leinster Senior League clubs but I couldn't ask them because they had to be signed before the deadline, so our hands were basically tied. But the lads I have in are a good bunch.”
Tricky trip
Harps, who were demoted on the final day of last season, are on a three-game winning streak against Kildare, though manager Paul Hegarty is well are of the task at hand recalling his side’s 1-0 defeat at the Newbridge venue during their promotion-winning year of 2007. “It's always been a tough enough place to go and get a result,” Hegarty said. “We went down there and lost in the season that we got promoted. They won't make it an easy game for us, that we know.
Wait and see
“Our pre-season has been okay,” he added. “After deservedly losing 2-0 to Galway, we didn't concede a goal in the following four games from open play, which is something we can work on. In fairness, the players have put in a great effort over the last few weeks.” However, any talk of a league challenge was dispelled for now by the former Derry City assistant. “We are not setting ourselves any goals this season as we have a lot of young lads,” he said, “so we'll just have to see. It might take seven or eight games, at least, for this team to settle in what will be a very competitive division.”
C’est la vie
Kildare are badly hit by injuries for the visit of Harps as long-term absentees David O’Connell and Trevor Bowers are joined on the sidelines by John Flynn, Alan Dowling, Leslie Kelly, Orrin Farrell, Colin Murray and Karl Hegarty. “This is life, we will just have to get on with it,” an upbeat Donnelly said. Harps, who are without Marc Brolly (hamstring) for the trip south, will also have a new-look side as only seven players remain from last year, Hegarty deciding on giving youth its chance. However, to help bolster the squad, he has acquired Ian Rossiter (Athlone Town), Ciaran Coll (Heart of Midlothian), Vinny Sweeney (Cliftonville) and Derry City loanees David McDaid and Ruairi Harkin.
Trapdoor
While Harps quickly fell through the trapdoor after only one season back in the top flight, Kildare also suffered relegation from the lower tier and looked destined for the A-Championship. However, the Thoroughbreds, thanks to Cobh Ramblers’ inability to obtain a First Division licence, gained a reprieve and can only improve on last year’s disappointing last-place finish.
Merry-go-round
Kildare have had three managers since last October with the latest, following in the footsteps of John Ryan and Tony Cousins, being Thomas ‘Cooper’ Donnelly, who hopes his players will show a bit of pride in the County jersey. “We are a committed team and we have trained hard, so I have told them to go and enjoy the game and remember that they are playing for their county,” Donnelly said.
‘Slight disadvantage’
However, the new boss laments the fact that the club were only informed of their league status less than three weeks before the start of the season. “I'd rather be in the First Division than the A-Championship but we are at a slight disadvantage because all the other clubs knew they were going to get their licence while we were preparing for the A-Championship,” he told the Leinster Leader.
Handcuffed
“When we found out we were in the First Division it was 16 February and the only players I could attract were free agents or players that I had asked in for the A-Championship,” he added. “There's some good players around with Leinster Senior League clubs but I couldn't ask them because they had to be signed before the deadline, so our hands were basically tied. But the lads I have in are a good bunch.”
Tricky trip
Harps, who were demoted on the final day of last season, are on a three-game winning streak against Kildare, though manager Paul Hegarty is well are of the task at hand recalling his side’s 1-0 defeat at the Newbridge venue during their promotion-winning year of 2007. “It's always been a tough enough place to go and get a result,” Hegarty said. “We went down there and lost in the season that we got promoted. They won't make it an easy game for us, that we know.
Wait and see
“Our pre-season has been okay,” he added. “After deservedly losing 2-0 to Galway, we didn't concede a goal in the following four games from open play, which is something we can work on. In fairness, the players have put in a great effort over the last few weeks.” However, any talk of a league challenge was dispelled for now by the former Derry City assistant. “We are not setting ourselves any goals this season as we have a lot of young lads,” he said, “so we'll just have to see. It might take seven or eight games, at least, for this team to settle in what will be a very competitive division.”
C’est la vie
Kildare are badly hit by injuries for the visit of Harps as long-term absentees David O’Connell and Trevor Bowers are joined on the sidelines by John Flynn, Alan Dowling, Leslie Kelly, Orrin Farrell, Colin Murray and Karl Hegarty. “This is life, we will just have to get on with it,” an upbeat Donnelly said. Harps, who are without Marc Brolly (hamstring) for the trip south, will also have a new-look side as only seven players remain from last year, Hegarty deciding on giving youth its chance. However, to help bolster the squad, he has acquired Ian Rossiter (Athlone Town), Ciaran Coll (Heart of Midlothian), Vinny Sweeney (Cliftonville) and Derry City loanees David McDaid and Ruairi Harkin.
