Gallagher “delighted” with rare win
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Finn Harps boss James Gallagher admitted there was a somewhat unfamiliar air of satisfaction in his side’s dressing room following their 1-0 win over Cork City in Ballybofey last Friday night.
Harps were without a win in their last seven outings coming into the game with the Leesiders, but a twenty-third minute strike from Kevin McHugh shrugged that monkey from their collective backs, as well as propelling them above Wexford Youths in the table, albeit only on goal-difference.
It was also the first clean sheet Harps had managed since a 1-0 win away to Athlone Town way back in July, with Gallagher laying praise on his ‘keeper, who had to come to Harps’ rescue on more than one occasion.
“It might take a while to sink in, it’s been a while coming. We are well aware that we are drawing far too many games at home so we’re obviously delighted,” shared the Harps manager afterwards.
“It’s Gavin Cullen’s first clean sheet since he came in and he’s made two or three really good saves, one in the first half, in particular, where it looked like an excellent stop. I’m delighted for him because he’s like everyone else, he comes and works hard here every week and I know myself from being a goalkeeper that you like to keep clean sheets. I’m sure if we were winning every week and he wasn’t getting his clean sheet he’d be happy but always as a goalkeeper you want to get your clean sheets,” he added.
Clearly delighted with his side’s more controlled showing, Gallagher found it hard not to identify midfielder Mark Forker’s industrious, box-to-box performance as stand-out.
He said: “There were a lot of good performances; we tried to play as good as we could. I think from that aspect it’s hard to single anybody out, but Mark Forker was probably the best player in the park.
“He done an awful lot of work off the ball as well as the wee bit of quality he has on it. He’s come on an awful lot in the last few months and again that’s just down to working away every week.
“Most of the good things that we done he was involved in. That’s because he’s taken it upon himself to try and have an impact whereas the Mark Forker of old would’ve been in an out of games, but now he is trying to have a much bigger say in the game throughout the ninety minutes.”
Harps turned something of a corner on Friday night, having taken the lead and then gone onto see the game out without looking too flustered, though Cork were by no means exhilarating.
“I said to Anthony (Gorman) that the best player Cork has is ourselves. We’re our own worst enemy at times and even tonight we had a couple of wee slips. Thankfully, overall, we defended quite well – taking out the couple of wee slips and obviously Gavin pulling off a couple of good saves. I’m absolutely delighted because it’s been tough going.
“And it’s very frustrating for me when the players just aren’t showing people what they’re capable of. I’m not saying we’ve played great every week but there have been games when we have done enough to win but we’re shooting ourselves in the foot by conceding sloppy goals through individual errors.”
Unsurprisingly, it was Kevin McHugh who once more came up with the goods in front of goal, and although Gallagher lauded the striker’s contribution of twelve league goals this campaign, he suggested that tally might have been even greater.
“He’ll be happy with that – he could probably have more. You could look at if we didn’t have Kevin’s goals (where would we be), but at the same time Kevin will probably be looking at it and saying he should have had more. He’s had plenty of chances and I think it’s a case where we’re not putting the ball in the back of the net anywhere near as much as we would like.
“I think we’ve created plenty of chances; there have been very few games where we haven’t created anything at all. Credit to Kevin, though. I said to him at half-time that he’s come up with a couple of important goals this season and that hopefully that will be another, but we have forty-five minutes to decide that, whether it’s a big goal or not.”
Harps were without a win in their last seven outings coming into the game with the Leesiders, but a twenty-third minute strike from Kevin McHugh shrugged that monkey from their collective backs, as well as propelling them above Wexford Youths in the table, albeit only on goal-difference.
It was also the first clean sheet Harps had managed since a 1-0 win away to Athlone Town way back in July, with Gallagher laying praise on his ‘keeper, who had to come to Harps’ rescue on more than one occasion.
“It might take a while to sink in, it’s been a while coming. We are well aware that we are drawing far too many games at home so we’re obviously delighted,” shared the Harps manager afterwards.
“It’s Gavin Cullen’s first clean sheet since he came in and he’s made two or three really good saves, one in the first half, in particular, where it looked like an excellent stop. I’m delighted for him because he’s like everyone else, he comes and works hard here every week and I know myself from being a goalkeeper that you like to keep clean sheets. I’m sure if we were winning every week and he wasn’t getting his clean sheet he’d be happy but always as a goalkeeper you want to get your clean sheets,” he added.
Clearly delighted with his side’s more controlled showing, Gallagher found it hard not to identify midfielder Mark Forker’s industrious, box-to-box performance as stand-out.
He said: “There were a lot of good performances; we tried to play as good as we could. I think from that aspect it’s hard to single anybody out, but Mark Forker was probably the best player in the park.
“He done an awful lot of work off the ball as well as the wee bit of quality he has on it. He’s come on an awful lot in the last few months and again that’s just down to working away every week.
“Most of the good things that we done he was involved in. That’s because he’s taken it upon himself to try and have an impact whereas the Mark Forker of old would’ve been in an out of games, but now he is trying to have a much bigger say in the game throughout the ninety minutes.”
Harps turned something of a corner on Friday night, having taken the lead and then gone onto see the game out without looking too flustered, though Cork were by no means exhilarating.
“I said to Anthony (Gorman) that the best player Cork has is ourselves. We’re our own worst enemy at times and even tonight we had a couple of wee slips. Thankfully, overall, we defended quite well – taking out the couple of wee slips and obviously Gavin pulling off a couple of good saves. I’m absolutely delighted because it’s been tough going.
“And it’s very frustrating for me when the players just aren’t showing people what they’re capable of. I’m not saying we’ve played great every week but there have been games when we have done enough to win but we’re shooting ourselves in the foot by conceding sloppy goals through individual errors.”
Unsurprisingly, it was Kevin McHugh who once more came up with the goods in front of goal, and although Gallagher lauded the striker’s contribution of twelve league goals this campaign, he suggested that tally might have been even greater.
“He’ll be happy with that – he could probably have more. You could look at if we didn’t have Kevin’s goals (where would we be), but at the same time Kevin will probably be looking at it and saying he should have had more. He’s had plenty of chances and I think it’s a case where we’re not putting the ball in the back of the net anywhere near as much as we would like.
“I think we’ve created plenty of chances; there have been very few games where we haven’t created anything at all. Credit to Kevin, though. I said to him at half-time that he’s come up with a couple of important goals this season and that hopefully that will be another, but we have forty-five minutes to decide that, whether it’s a big goal or not.”
