League Preview: Finn Harps -v- Cobh Ramblers

FINN HARPS

With league leaders Wexford Youths not in action again until next week due to UCD's Europa League involvement, Harps boss Ollie Horgan will hope his side can capitalise with a victory over Cobh Ramblers in Finn Park on Friday night.

Three points against the Rams would increase the seven-point gap between Harps and the third-placed Students to ten while also allowing the Donegal side to leapfrog Youths at the top of the First Division table.

Though last week's 3-0 win over Waterford United at the RSC looked comfortable on the scoreboard, Horgan felt that his side were fortunate not to be behind before breaking the deadlock themselves and he expects Cobh to provide a stern test in Ballybofey.

“We could have gone two-nil down on Friday night before we scored just before half time,” Horgan told finnharps.com. “Waterford had a one-on-one chance and also hit the crossbar. We were never comfortable until we got the second goal which was a little against the run of play.

“On the plus side it is good that we didn’t concede, especially away from home, but I wasn’t happy that we gave away a lot of chances to Waterford.

“Cobh will be a very difficult game, they are improving all the time and had a great result winning 4-1 in their last away trip in Athlone,” added the Harps boss. “They have great talented players in Kevin Mulcahy and Shane O'Connor added to the pace and ability of the likes of Kynan Rocks and Stephen Kenny.”

Horgan himself will serve the last game of his three-match suspension on Friday, but in terms of on-field personnel, the former Fanad United boss is as close to full-strength as could be hoped for at this stage of the campaign – only Thomas McMonagle is unavailable for selection through injury.

COBH RAMBLERS

Despite being in the bottom half of the table heading into the game against their promotion chasing hosts, Stephen Henderson's side are in decent form. Last week's defeat to Youths was Cobh's first league loss in six matches dating back to a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Harps in mid-May.

Having managed just a solitary point from 14 home games last season, they have earned seven points from eight away trips so far in 2015. The Rams even managed a first league victory on the road in the League of Ireland in almost seven years when they beat Athlone Town 4-1 in Lissywollen three weeks ago.

While creeping into the race for promotion play-off places may be beyond Henderson's men at this stage of the season, the Cork side will surely have a say in who goes up and who stays down as the season enters its final stretch.

Though Cobh have only won twice in their previous ten meetings with Harps, a repeat of last season's 0-0 draw at Finn Park would be a disaster for Horgan's men. However, Henderson will have to try upset his opposite number without joint-top league goalscorer Rob Waters who this week left St. Colman's Park by mutual consent, while Kevin Mulcahy and Ron Stanton miss out through injury.

Referee: Adriano Reale.

MATCH STATS

At present, 14 points separate second-placed Finn Harps and sixth-placed Cobh Ramblers, but it is the latter side who have gleaned more in the last six league games – Cobh have earned nine points from a possible 18 where Harps have earned just seven.

Cobh will head into the game shorn of the services of their top goalscorer this season – Rob Waters departed St. Colman's Park by mutual consent during the week. The 24 year old netted five times from 16 games for the Rams in all competitions this season. Waters was also top goalscorer last season with six goals from 19 appearances.

Harps have only lost twice to Cobh in their last ten meetings, with three of those games ending all-square. Ramblers' only away point of the 2014 season came at Finn Park in a scoreless draw.

In their last away game, Cobh defeated Athlone Town 4-1 in Lissywollen – their first win on the road in the League of Ireland since October 2008 when they defeated St. Patrick's Athletic 3-0 in Richmond Park.

BETTING

Finn Harps 1/2; Draw 11/4; Cobh Ramblers 5/1.

PREDICTION

Finn Harps 2-1 Cobh Ramblers.

Finn Harps

Injured: Thomas McMonagle.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: Ollie Horgan (manager).

Cobh Ramblers

Injured: Kevin Mulcahy, Ron Stanton.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.