Finn Harps 2-0 Mervue United
Credit:
Finn Harps have endured plenty of headaches this season and tonight’s encounter against Mervue United in Ballybofey was nearly the latest chapter in the weighty book of frustration. In cold black and white print, a draw against the league’s newcomers would have depicted a poor showing, but in truth, stand-in manager James Gallagher could really not have asked for much more from his team, bar perhaps a little more composure in front of goal. Chances came and chances went, before a goal finally arrived and like a bus another followed. Both ensured there would be no need for the jury to sit much longer, as Gallagher’s team now have seven points from their last three outings.
With 16 minutes to go, Michael Funston belatedly burst Mervue’s spirited resistance, when he drove on from his homely pasture in the centre of midfield and shot past the game’s excellent performer, Mervue goalkeeper Eoin Martin, from 25 yards to the relief of Finn Park. Then, with the egg-time almost devoid of dropping sand, substitute Oisin McMenamin scored his first senior goal for the club, when he haired away and put the cherry on top of the night’s icing. It was certainly the best the Donegal side had produced all season. Patience indeed, proved a virtue.
Harps controlled the early proceedings in front of the sparse attendance and winger Christy Conaghan was particularly to the fore in the initial stages. Inside of five minutes, he managed to nitpick a sloppy square ball across midfield by Nicky Curran and having run Mark Ludden outside and then in, drew a smart save from Martin. Seven minutes later, Conaghan was the architect of an even better opening, when he played a give and go that set David McDaid away on his own. Having galloped clear though, the Harps striker blinked first in his game of stares with Martin in the Mervue goal, who saved well.
Martin again thwarted the home side when Mark Forker, eight minutes from half-time, stretched on his tip-toes to loop a header goalward from the squirm-off from McDaid’s blocked shot. However, Martin was equal to the effort, with an excellent one-handed save the best of the lot, clawing the ball away from underneath the shadow of the crossbar. The former Galway United man proved that saving really is the best way to beat the recession.
Mervue’s first half escapade were about as rare as hen’s teeth, and when a chink finally appeared in Martin’s armour, when he came and missed with a punch, he was bailed out by Eric Brown’s clearance off the line from McDaid’s header. Both managers had to squeeze a number of square pegs into round holes to begin with, as there were only threadbare squad numbers available in the pick and mix. Harps captain Conor Gethins, formerly of Galway United, suffered a dislocated shoulder at training on Tuesday night and will be an absentee for the next two or three months. Ciaran Gallagher, who had been keeping goal for the previous nine, is away with Irish U-19s in Belgium, while Ian Rossiter was suspended.
Johnny Glynn’s Mervue had similar conundrums. His hand was severed with the losses of Noel McDonnell, Ger McGrath, Nigel Keady, Mixie Harty, Michael Tierney, David O’Dowd, which might so some way to explaining their non-entity as an attacking force in the first 45 minutes. Such an amount of withdrawals may have forced Glynn to employ the defensive tactics he instigated from the outset. The pattern of the first period spilt into the second with McDaid again testing Martin with a header and then failing to chalk his cue in front of goal. It took 62 minutes for the visitors to get a sight at the Harps goal, when David Goldbey failed to keep his volley down from Rory Gaffney’s thunderous throw-in.
Mervue finally came out of their pocket to attempt to sneak an unwarranted leveller, but that newfound sense of exploration proved their undoing. After Kevin Crehan pulled a shot wide, Cullen’s long clearance from the back set McMenamin off and running. In only his fourth substitute appearance for the club, he finished well, rolling the ball across Ryan. There was no miscarriage of justice in the end.
Finn Harps: Gavin Cullen; Johnny Havlin, Packie Mailey, Shaun McGowan, Gary Whoriskey; Christy Conaghan, Michael Funston, Sean Houston, Marc Brolly; Mark Forker (Fintan Bonner 75 mins), David McDaid (Oisin McMenamin 87 mins)
Mervue United: Eoin Martin; Nicky Curran, Damien O’Rourke, Eric Browne, Nicky Ludden; Alex Lee, Rynal Brown, Gary Traynor (David O’Brien 82 mins), Kevin Barrett (Kevin Crehan 65 mins), Rory Gaffney (Kenny Farrell 82 mins); David Goldbey
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Eoin Martin
Referee: Damien Hancock
With 16 minutes to go, Michael Funston belatedly burst Mervue’s spirited resistance, when he drove on from his homely pasture in the centre of midfield and shot past the game’s excellent performer, Mervue goalkeeper Eoin Martin, from 25 yards to the relief of Finn Park. Then, with the egg-time almost devoid of dropping sand, substitute Oisin McMenamin scored his first senior goal for the club, when he haired away and put the cherry on top of the night’s icing. It was certainly the best the Donegal side had produced all season. Patience indeed, proved a virtue.
Harps controlled the early proceedings in front of the sparse attendance and winger Christy Conaghan was particularly to the fore in the initial stages. Inside of five minutes, he managed to nitpick a sloppy square ball across midfield by Nicky Curran and having run Mark Ludden outside and then in, drew a smart save from Martin. Seven minutes later, Conaghan was the architect of an even better opening, when he played a give and go that set David McDaid away on his own. Having galloped clear though, the Harps striker blinked first in his game of stares with Martin in the Mervue goal, who saved well.
Martin again thwarted the home side when Mark Forker, eight minutes from half-time, stretched on his tip-toes to loop a header goalward from the squirm-off from McDaid’s blocked shot. However, Martin was equal to the effort, with an excellent one-handed save the best of the lot, clawing the ball away from underneath the shadow of the crossbar. The former Galway United man proved that saving really is the best way to beat the recession.
Mervue’s first half escapade were about as rare as hen’s teeth, and when a chink finally appeared in Martin’s armour, when he came and missed with a punch, he was bailed out by Eric Brown’s clearance off the line from McDaid’s header. Both managers had to squeeze a number of square pegs into round holes to begin with, as there were only threadbare squad numbers available in the pick and mix. Harps captain Conor Gethins, formerly of Galway United, suffered a dislocated shoulder at training on Tuesday night and will be an absentee for the next two or three months. Ciaran Gallagher, who had been keeping goal for the previous nine, is away with Irish U-19s in Belgium, while Ian Rossiter was suspended.
Johnny Glynn’s Mervue had similar conundrums. His hand was severed with the losses of Noel McDonnell, Ger McGrath, Nigel Keady, Mixie Harty, Michael Tierney, David O’Dowd, which might so some way to explaining their non-entity as an attacking force in the first 45 minutes. Such an amount of withdrawals may have forced Glynn to employ the defensive tactics he instigated from the outset. The pattern of the first period spilt into the second with McDaid again testing Martin with a header and then failing to chalk his cue in front of goal. It took 62 minutes for the visitors to get a sight at the Harps goal, when David Goldbey failed to keep his volley down from Rory Gaffney’s thunderous throw-in.
Mervue finally came out of their pocket to attempt to sneak an unwarranted leveller, but that newfound sense of exploration proved their undoing. After Kevin Crehan pulled a shot wide, Cullen’s long clearance from the back set McMenamin off and running. In only his fourth substitute appearance for the club, he finished well, rolling the ball across Ryan. There was no miscarriage of justice in the end.
Finn Harps: Gavin Cullen; Johnny Havlin, Packie Mailey, Shaun McGowan, Gary Whoriskey; Christy Conaghan, Michael Funston, Sean Houston, Marc Brolly; Mark Forker (Fintan Bonner 75 mins), David McDaid (Oisin McMenamin 87 mins)
Mervue United: Eoin Martin; Nicky Curran, Damien O’Rourke, Eric Browne, Nicky Ludden; Alex Lee, Rynal Brown, Gary Traynor (David O’Brien 82 mins), Kevin Barrett (Kevin Crehan 65 mins), Rory Gaffney (Kenny Farrell 82 mins); David Goldbey
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Eoin Martin
Referee: Damien Hancock
