Ollie Horgan: ‘You do not get any bonus points for beating Shamrock Rovers’

Macdara Ferris reports from Finn Park

Finn Harps’ sixth win in a row in all competitions on Friday night secured their first victory over Shamrock Rovers for 13 years in front of their biggest home crowd since the covid crisis began.

However, while Harps boss Ollie Horgan was happy with the victory, his focus is very much on the future and accumulating enough points to stay in the Premier Division.

Having beaten Derry City last week, Harps do have an FAI Cup quarter-final to come at home against the holders Dundalk later this month and the Lilywhites will have to be on their best in that match or they will suffer the fate that awaited the Hoops on Friday.

“We would prefer if it was six league wins in a row and try and get away from the bottom of the table,” said Horgan when speaking with extratime.com after the final whistle in Ballybofey.

“You don't get any bonus points for beating Shamrock Rovers but we will take it and move on.”

“We have a hugely difficult game in the Brandywell next Friday against a Derry side who are excellent at home. We know unless we are fully right we will get nothing out of that.

“We have a savage battle ahead of us in the remaining games to try and survive in this division." 

Having struggled from the end of May, only picking up two points from eight league games, Horgan’s team have turned it around to win four in a row in the league, along with FAI Cup victories over Fairview Rangers and Derry City.

“It was very difficult to turn the losing run we were on around and we are hoping it might be as difficult to turn the winning run we are on just as the same.

“The first half was scrappy. There wasn't a whole lot in it. Shamrock Rovers didn't have a whole load of chances and neither did we. They had the majority of possession.”

Harps took the lead on 56 minutes with Jordan Mustoe getting in at the back post to beat Alan Mannus rounding off a fine eight pass move before an Adam Foley OG got the Hoops back to level.

Rovers have found late goals in spades all season but in Ballybofey on Friday it was the home side who found the late winner five minutes from time.

“The biggest pleasing point for us was when Shamrock Rovers equalised it looked inevitable that they would go on and win it as they have often more times or not done in injury time. We found a little second wind.

“When confidence is up with a few wins that happens. Had we had been on the run we were on in the months of June and July, Shamrock Rovers would have got a winner.”

Stephen Bradley handed a first start in the Hoops for Barry Cotter who had a really entertaining battle with Tunde Owolabi all evening. With injuries, international call ups and suspensions, Bradley only named six players on the bench including four teenagers who between them had just one league start to their names.

“If there is ever a good time to get them, we probably got them at a good time. It is not the 11 they had out there but they hadn't the usual to freshen it up and come at it in more waves. 

“It was was good battle,” said Horgan about the Olowabi and Cotter match up. “I thought in the first half, Barry won it out with his athleticism in the air and his pace. Tunde came up with the winner in the end which is what it is all about.”

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— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) September 6, 2021