Kildare County 0 - 2 Finn Harps

Two goals from Michael Funston were enough to succumb Kildare County to yet another defeat when they met Finn Harps at Station Road on Friday evening. The game looked like it was heading for a 0-0 score line until Davy Byrne gave away a penalty after 54 minutes when he pushed Finn Harps defender Seamus Sharkey and, following the successful conversion by Funston, Kildare were really playing catch-up after this.

After their commendable performance last week in losing 2-0 to league leaders Shelbourne, many people saw this as an ideal opportunity for County to get their first home league win of the season and they certainly began in lively fashion with Christy Doran and Cathal Brady providing plenty of imagination on the flanks just behind lone front man Philly Hughes.

However, even though both sides had a good deal of possession early on, there weren’t too many clear-cut chances being created with the only attempt of note being a left-footed effort by Christy Conaghan from the right-wing which went past Darren Kelly’s left-hand post and away from danger.

Perhaps the lack of chances was a case of early jitters from both sets of players, but Hughes sought to change this when he attempted a trademark audacious chip from all of 40 yards, which was well struck but was always sailing over the cross bar. Conaghan was impressing for Harps on the right-wing and it was his cross after 19 minutes that was met by the head of Stephen McLaughlin, whose near-post header was straight at Kelly. McLaughlin had another shot on target just two minutes later from a cross by left-back Ciaran Coll as Harps were starting to come into the game more and more. They never really threatened to find the back of the Kildare net though and the game would be extremely quiet until we were treated to a quite explosive final five minutes in the opening half.

Firstly, Philly Hughes used some excellent vision to pick out the on-rushing David Jackson, and he had only the keeper to beat but he hit it straight at Ciaran Gallagher, who managed to stop the ball with his feet. Following this save, the ball went up the other end of the pitch and McLaughlin managed to find room down the left and he squared it back for Marc Brolly, who was in an excellent position, but he blasted over from a distance of about eight yards when he really should have been celebrating the opening goal.

Jackson would then have a second glorious opportunity with two first-half minutes remaining, but his shot from a tight-angle was saved again by Gallagher and the sides would go in scoreless at the break.

While it took quite a while for the first real chance of the first half, it wasn’t too long before an opening was created after the break and a clearance from defence by County left-back David Long provided an opportunity for the returning Cathal Brady who took the ball around Gallagher but could only hit the side-netting from a tight angle. A goal so early after the re-start would really have opened things up for Kildare, but they were made to pay just five minutes later when Funston coolly dispatched his penalty past Gallagher to give the Donegal men the lead.

In truth, it was a foolish penalty for Kildare to concede, and it now meant that they were having to chase a game that they could easily have been ahead in. They sought to change things by bringing on Dave O’Riordan for Byrne and playing with two up top, but Harps now had something to hold onto as the entered the final half-hour.

Things would then get worse for Kildare, when manager Joey Somerville was sent to the stands for dissent and goalkeeper Kelly had to go off with a nasty looking injury. There was a long delay following Kelly’s injury and it did disrupt the momentum for County, although they did come extremely close on 78 minutes when Hughes and then Liam Tiernan had shots cleared off the line by Packie Mailey and Brolly respectively.

This would prove to be the last meaningful opportunities that County would have in the match, and the points were wrapped up for Harps when substitute goalkeeper Colin Cassidy was beaten to a long ball by Funston, who then had the easiest off tap-ins from a few a yards out.

Kildare will now have to pick themselves up for two tough away fixtures against Athlone and Longford in the coming weeks as they continue their battle against relegation.

KILDARE COUNTY: Darren Kelly (Colin Cassidy ‘72); Craig Purcell, Dean Lawrence, Liam Tiernan, David Long; Davy Byrne (Dave O’Riordan ‘62), Darren O Brien, David Jackson, Christy Doran (Orrin Farrell ‘81); Cathal Brady, Philip Hughes.
Subs not used: Orrin Farrell, Trevor Bowers, Baba Isaaka.

FINN HARPS: Ciaran Gallagher; James Doherty, Seamus Sharkey, Packie Mailey, Ciaran Coll; Christy Conaghan, Michael Funston, Mark Forker, Gary Whoriskey; Marc Brolly, Stephen McLaughlin.
Subs not used: Oisin McMenamin, Ian Rossiter, Caolan Kelly, Mark Moran, Sean Roddy.

Referee: John McLoughlin.

Extratime.ie man of the match: Michael Funston (Finn Harps) – Was the difference with his goals but was instrumental throughout the game apart from that.