Preview: Finn Harps vs Sligo Rovers
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Finn Harps welcome Sligo Rovers to Finn Park on Friday evening (kick-off 8.00pm) desperately in need of points to stop a run of four successive defeats which have seen Paul Hegarty's side fail to register a goal and concede ten.
Hegarty will have to again plan without the services of Gary Beckett, Tony Shields and Jonathan Minnock for the visit of Rovers. Defender Marc Mukendi (groin) is also a doubt. Chris Breen has resumed training again this week, while Stephen Parkhouse who was unable to start the game in Cork, has also trained this week.
"Last week before we went to Cork, I emphasised to the players how important getting a good start in a match was," commented Hegarty on last week's 3-0 reversal at Turners Cross. "I asked them to start well and to be fair they did that and we could have been a goal or two up before Cork scored but we didn't take the two great chances we had. Once again we gave away the goals and Cork didn't really have to work for them. Once the third one went in so early in the second half, it was game over for us. I felt we were grand for the first half hour and might have been ahead and we were probably the better team."
Having watched tomorrow visitors in action against Galway United last Saturday, Hegarty feels it will be another tough encounter for this side. "I was at the Sligo game last week and although they didn't start too well they did grow into the game. The three subs that came on for them made a massive difference and they ran away with it at the end. It should be a good game and hopefully we can get back on track."
The last meeting between the two sides in competitive action was in the league Cup almost one year ago. Harps came out winners by the odd goal in five, having trailed Paul Cook's side 2-0 at half-time.
The match will also mark the first game of a four match suspension from the dugout for Harps Manager Paul Hegarty. Hegarty will have to sit in the stands and will not be allowed contact with his players before or after the game, or during the half-time interval.
