Mervue United -v- Finn Harps
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Mervue Utd entertain Finn Harps for their third and final meeting this season at Terryland Park on Friday night with a 7.45 p.m. kick-off. Mervue will be looking to get back to winning ways having lost to Limerick last week while Harps will be hoping to extend their three match unbeaten run.
The concession of early goals once again proved Mervue’s undoing last week as Limerick scored twice within the opening 15 minutes, which in the end proved vital. Despite an improved second half performance and Neil Keane scoring his first goal for the club from the penalty spot an equaliser never materialised.
Finn Harps recent form has improved as they remain unbeaten in three games having won their last two against Kildare County (2-0) and Longford Town (1-0). They also held league leaders Shelbourne to a 1-1 draw at home before those wins. In fact those recent victories over Kildare and Longford was the first time since November 2007 that Harps have won two competitive games back to back.
Finn Harps have already taken four points from their two previous encounters with Mervue this season. A last minute equaliser from Conor Gethins gave Harps a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Terryland Park in March, while Michael Funston and Oisin McMenamin scored the goals in their 2-0 victory at Finn Park in June.
Harps central defender Packie Mailey will return after suspension while James Doherty is also available again. Gary Whoriskey, Fintan Bonner, Paddy Bonner, Conor Gethins and Johnny Havlin all remain out through injury. Harps manager James Gallagher is also serving a ban as a result of his dismissal from the dugout in the 1-1 draw with Shelbourne last month for which he received a four-match touchline ban starting from this game.
Gallagher on Friday's visit to Galway “We will go to Terryland on Friday with confidence high within the squad. We are now three games unbeaten and want to push on and finish as high as possible up the table. To do that, we really need to be looking at winning on Friday, and we'll be going down there trying to do just that. They will be looking for the points themselves and will make it very tough for us. We have set a goal to make the final third of the season our best one points wise and we have started that well with the two victories over Kildare and Longford.”
Johnny Glynn will welcome back winger Rory Gaffney from suspension and under 18 player Pat Hoban will be available again having missed the last two games as he was away on holidays. Rynal Browne and Mixie Harty remain the home teams only players out through injury. David O’Dowd, who only returned to action for the first time since May as a half time sub last Friday night against Limerick, is also unavailable.
While Mervue’s away form has been somewhat erratic this season they have proved very hard to beat on home soil, so Finn Harps will be wary of a side that is seven points behind them in the table.
Prediction: A share of the spoils, a 1-1 draw.
The concession of early goals once again proved Mervue’s undoing last week as Limerick scored twice within the opening 15 minutes, which in the end proved vital. Despite an improved second half performance and Neil Keane scoring his first goal for the club from the penalty spot an equaliser never materialised.
Finn Harps recent form has improved as they remain unbeaten in three games having won their last two against Kildare County (2-0) and Longford Town (1-0). They also held league leaders Shelbourne to a 1-1 draw at home before those wins. In fact those recent victories over Kildare and Longford was the first time since November 2007 that Harps have won two competitive games back to back.
Finn Harps have already taken four points from their two previous encounters with Mervue this season. A last minute equaliser from Conor Gethins gave Harps a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Terryland Park in March, while Michael Funston and Oisin McMenamin scored the goals in their 2-0 victory at Finn Park in June.
Harps central defender Packie Mailey will return after suspension while James Doherty is also available again. Gary Whoriskey, Fintan Bonner, Paddy Bonner, Conor Gethins and Johnny Havlin all remain out through injury. Harps manager James Gallagher is also serving a ban as a result of his dismissal from the dugout in the 1-1 draw with Shelbourne last month for which he received a four-match touchline ban starting from this game.
Gallagher on Friday's visit to Galway “We will go to Terryland on Friday with confidence high within the squad. We are now three games unbeaten and want to push on and finish as high as possible up the table. To do that, we really need to be looking at winning on Friday, and we'll be going down there trying to do just that. They will be looking for the points themselves and will make it very tough for us. We have set a goal to make the final third of the season our best one points wise and we have started that well with the two victories over Kildare and Longford.”
Johnny Glynn will welcome back winger Rory Gaffney from suspension and under 18 player Pat Hoban will be available again having missed the last two games as he was away on holidays. Rynal Browne and Mixie Harty remain the home teams only players out through injury. David O’Dowd, who only returned to action for the first time since May as a half time sub last Friday night against Limerick, is also unavailable.
While Mervue’s away form has been somewhat erratic this season they have proved very hard to beat on home soil, so Finn Harps will be wary of a side that is seven points behind them in the table.
Prediction: A share of the spoils, a 1-1 draw.
About Terry Flaherty
Terry has been writing for Extratime since 2009 and is based out west in Galway covering Mervue United, Salthill Devon, and now this season the newly formed, Galway FC. Terry has written articles for many … View Full Profile