League Report: Cobh Ramblers 2-3 Finn Harps

Finn Harps won a thrilling game of football on Saturday night in St. Colman’s Park against Cobh Ramblers thanks to two goals in the final ten minutes to keep them on top of the SSE Airtricity League First Division.

The previous meeting between these two sides in Ballybofey earlier this year resulted in Harps winning 4-0 however, Saturday’s clash was to be a much tighter affair.

Michael Funston scored a screamer on 18 minutes from 35 yards to give the Donegal side the perfect start before Rob Waters equalised for the home team to leave them level at the break.

The second half was very eventful with Darren Murphy giving Cobh an early lead on 46 minutes but Harps sustained attacking pressure was rewarded in the final ten minutes of the game through two goals from Josh Mailey and Raymond Foy on 80 and 88 minutes respectively to leave Finn Harps six points clear of Wexford Youths.

Cobh Ramblers made two changes from the side defeated by Wexford Youths 1-0 last Friday with Kynan Rocks and Rob Waters replacing Steven Kenny and Chris McCarthy. Finn Harps only made one change from the side that defeated Waterford United 3-2 with the injured Keith Cowan replaced by Damien McNulty.

On 18 minutes the deadlock was broken through Funston. Fresh after his screamer against Waterford United the previous week, Funston collected a poor clearance from Browne before blasting it from 35 yards into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.

Cobh rallied after the concession of the goal with Kevin Mulcahy’s low drive well held by Ciaran Gallagher. However Gallagher couldn’t keep out Waters equaliser on 27 minutes when his diving header from a Shane O’Connor cross nestled into the bottom corner.

Harps won a series of corners before the break and it was at one corner that Browne collided with some bodies and had to be stretchered from the field.

The second half had just started when Mulcahy’s cross found Murphy and he converted from 12 yards.

After this Harps seized control of the game, Ollie Horgan introduced Kevin McHugh in the hope of getting an equaliser and went two up top. As a result McHugh, Funston and Foy all had shots blocked by Cobh’s defence.

McHugh was central to the equaliser laying the ball off to Mailey who made no mistake shooting into the bottom right hand corner inside the box.

Lastly with the game nearly finished Foy saw his shot from the edge of the box find the net and this was cue for celebrations for the travelling Harps support.

Stephen Kenny nearly snatched a draw late on but his header was pushed away by Gallagher for a corner.

Cobh Ramblers: David Browne (Stephen Hickey 48); Adam O’Sullivan, Brendan Frahill, Eoghan Murphy, Kevin Mulcahy; Ryan Goldsmith, Darren Murphy (Jonathan Creamer 85), Graham McCarthy, Shane O’Connor, Kynan Rocks (Stephen Kenny 90+1); Rob Waters,

Subs Not Used: Ronan Stanton, David Curran, Chris McCarthy, Audi Dunlea

Yellow cards: McCarthy (20), O’Connor (80)

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Josh Mailey, Damien McNulty, Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll; Matthew Crossan; Wilfried Tagbo (Kevin McHugh 65), Michael Funston (Tony McNamee 70), Raymond Foy, Gareth Harkin (Regan Donnelon 92); Ruairi Keating

Subs Not Used: Tommy Lee McCarron, Darragh Black, Garbhan Friel

Yellow Card: McNulty (12), Foy (41), Keating (52)

Referee: Paula Brady (Dublin)

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Kevin McHugh (Finn Harps)

Attendance: 300 (estimated)