Finn Harps 1 - 0 Longford Town

Finn Harps sealed their first home game of the new season with a hard fought win against Longford Town on Saturday night. In an action packed second half, Harps came out on top thanks to a Conor Gethins penalty 17 minutes from time to hand the Ballybofey side their first win of the campaign.

Both sides were involved in draws on the opening weekend against Kildare and Monaghan respectively. With each manager having felt their sides deserved more than the solitary point in which they had to settle for, this game provided messieurs’ Hegarty and Gough the opportunity to put right any lingering doubts or regrets from last weekend.

Longford were forced to make two changes to the side that drew against Monaghan at Flancare Park, with Tom King and Darragh Concannon replacing the suspended duo of Brian McCarthy and Colm Jinks. Meanwhile, Harps had the luxury of naming the same eleven that made the trip to Newbridge a week earlier.

In a pretty dour first half, chances were hard to come by for both teams, but it was the away side that had the best of the openings. The first coming on 17 minutes when Jason McCartney latched onto a long ball from keeper Brendan Murphy. The Longford midfielder found himself in plenty of space behind the Harps’ defence and when it looked like he could have taken the ball further toward goal, he let rip with a stinging shot from 15 yards which flew just wide of Gavin Cullen’s goal.

A minute later and Town went agonisingly close again. On this occasion, Liam Lynch was very unlucky to see his speculative effort fall just over the crossbar from 25 yards out. Apart from a Jim Sheridan yellow card for a late lunge on Marc Mukendi, and a Christy Connaghan shot from 20 yards, that was the height of anything noteworthy as both teams went in at half time pretty evenly poised.

Fortunately for the relatively small turnout, the action improved vastly in the second period, and it was Harp’s that started and ended the most convincing. Within two minutes of the restart, the home side should have been one up.

After some fantastic work from Michael Funston down the left, he cut into the box skinning Ray Kenny to leave himself a clear opening on the Longford goal. However the winger unselfishly pulled the ball back to Conor Gethins who ballooned his shot high over the bar.

Harps definitely had the bit between their teeth in going forward, but too often were guilty of not being more ruthless when the openings were created. Harps’ made their first change of the evening on 57 minutes when they introduced Marc Brolly for Ian Rossiter, and it proved to be a very calculated one.

For much of the game Longford appeared stretched anytime Harps pressed down the wings and with Brolly now on, they had to be on their toes even more so. On 63 minutes, Derek Glynn provided the home team with a moment of panic as he sneaked in behind the Harps’ defence.

Thankfully though for Harps’, their keeper was alert to the danger and pulled off a great point blank save. That was the only moment of caution that Cullen had to contend with for the rest of the evening, as his team mates pushed on.

The eventual breakthrough came in dramatic circumstances on 73 minutes as Harps managed to breach the Longford line of defence. As the ball broke to Gethins on the left, he made his way into the box to cross for Connaghan at the back post. The midfielder cushioned the ball, before shooting straight at Murphy, however the ball rebounded kindly for Connaghan who on his second attempt tried to round the ‘keeper who could only haul him down. The referee didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, but in a strange twist followed on by flashing a red card to centre half Stephen Gough instead of Murphy. The ‘keeper was lucky to remain on the field, but could do nothing to deny Gethins from converting the resulting penalty.

Four minutes later, and Longford were reduced to nine as Liam Lynch also got his marching orders. In a textbook tangle with Michael Funston, the Town forward reacted angrily and after pushing Funston in the face, referee Brendan Kelley issued his second red. Funston who reacted theatrically to the push, picked up a yellow for his involvement in the confrontation.

In the closing stages, Harps were extremely guilty of not adding to their lead. With the space created from the sending-off’s, Harps had a couple of opportunities’ to inflict further misery on Alan Gough’s troops but a lack of awareness and composure meant they could not kill the game off.

Despite this, Paul Hegarty will be more than content with the manner in which his side took the game to Longford in the second half, but will be fully aware that they will have to be more clinical against teams at home if they are to have any hope of promotion.

Harps travel to newly promoted side Mervue United next week before entertaining UCD at Finn Park in a fortnight.

Finn Harps: Gavin Cullen; Ian Rossiter (Mark Brolly 57), Ciaran Coll, Johnny Havlin, Marc Mukendi, Shaun McGowan, Christy Connaghan, Ruairi Harkin, Michael Funston (Mark Forker 90); David McDaid, Conor Gethins.
Subs not used: Ciaran Gallagher (gk), Patrick Bonner, Sean Houston.

Longford Town: Brendan Murphy; Tom King, Stephen Gough, Jim Sheridan, Ray Kenny; Gary Curran (Brian Murtagh 87), Darragh Concannon (Eoin Hoare 79), Carmine Russo, Jason McCartney; Liam Lynch, Derek Glynn.
Subs not used: Michael Lee, Colin Nicholson, Stephen Brennan.

Sent Off: Gough (77), Lynch (81)

Referee: Brendan Kelley (Sligo).

Attendance: 626