2023 Season Preview: Finn Harps

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Keith Cowan returns to Finn Harps this season. Credit: Clare McCahill (ETPhotos)

Manager: Dave Rogers

Stadium: Finn Park

Players In: Keith Cowan (Drogheda United), Caoimhin Porter, Daithi McCallion (both Derry City - loan), Seamas Keogh (Sligo Rovers), Filip Da Silva, Michael Harris (Colorado Rapids), Tim Hiemer, Ryan Flood (Phoenix Rising), Katlego Mashigo (Portadown), Daniel Okwute & Ellis Farrar (both Stockport County - loan), Shane McMonagle (Aileach FC).

Players Out:  Ethan Boyle (Wexford), Dave Webster (Bray Wanderers), Rob Slevin (Galway United), Regan Donelan (Galway United), Ryan Connolly (Treaty United), Gary Boylan (end of loan), Luke Rudden, Conor Tourish, James McKeown (Cleethorpes Town), Mark Timlin (retired), Barry McNamee, Jose Carrillo.

Extratime.com Key Man: Keith Cowan

Keith Cowan has returned to Finn Harps which no doubt the team’s faithful fans will be delighted with.

The defender is almost synonymous with the Donegal club having first signed for them in 2004. He has spent more than a decade with Harps throughout his career making more than 240 appearances and taken in spells with Glentoran, Dungannon Swifts and Drogheda United before finding his way back to Finn Park.

At 37 years of age the defender will definitely have a lot to offer in the First Division as Harps begin to rebuild after last year’s relegation.

There has been wholesale change at the club both in on-field personnel and in the dugout, a steady hand at the back that knows the club inside out could be key for Harps this season – and they may have just got that in Keith Cowan.

Extratime.com One to Watch: Michael Harris



There are many contenders for ‘one to watch’ at Harps this season given the wide net that manager Dave Rogers has cast to put his squad together ahead of the new season.

Michael Harris has been given the nod for a couple of reasons.

Harris just turned 20 in December and will have a lot to prove in this League, he’s a former Derry City player and was on the cusp of the first team two years ago when he appeared in numerous match day squads.

The midfielder was part of the Candystripes successful under 19 side that claimed the Enda McGuill Cup in 2021 with Harris scoring the winning penalty against Bohemians to claim the prize for Derry.

He departed City in 2022 to sign for Colorado Rapids in the MLS, while he was signed to the Rapids developmental squad the fact that the Donegal native has been enticed home by the new regime at Finn Park is a huge positive and the young midfielder could prove a shrewd signing as Harps look to recover from last year’s relegation.

This could be a long term project for both player and manager with Harris saying upon his arrival, after signing a two year deal: “The moment I sat down with Dave and he explained his plans and ambitions for the club and also his ideas and detail of how he will develop me as a player and how I will fit into his system and style of play, my mind was made up immediately.”



What to expect this season:

Harps are a bit of an unknown coming into this season with a number of question marks over how a few of their new signings will perform this season.

There are questions too over how new manager Dave Rogers will fare in his first season in charge of the club after taking over from long term manager Ollie Horgan.

The likes of Tim Hiemer, Ryan Flood and Filip Da Silva are all untested at this level and it remains to be seen if these are the right players for Dave Rogers’ Finn Harps.

That being said – the new boss has signed all three on two year deals so not only does he believe in the talent he’s bringing to Finn Park, presumably he’s also laying the groundwork for long term success for the Donegal club.

Even aside from the players he’s brought in from different countries, a lot of the signings are young and inexperienced – Michael Harris, Seamas Keogh but the likes of these players are touted as big players for the future,

With a bit of experience sprinkled in and if some of these new signings catch fire this season could go very well for Harps. Don’t expect them to challenge for the First Division title – but if things can go well for Rogers and his new team and if the players can gel coming into the new season we may well see them claim a playoff spot come the end of the 2023 First Division campaign.

First Game:

Finn Harps -v- Galway United, February 17th, Finn Park (kick-off 8pm)

About Paul Corcoran

Paul Corcoran is an experienced writer and journalist and has contributed to various publications including the Galway United match programme Maroon View. He spends much of his time covering the fortunes of Galway United's teams … View Full Profile