Report: Finn Harps 1 - 0 Bray Wanderers

FINN Harps moved out of the relegation zone following this narrow win over Bray Wanderers at Finn Park, where Conor Gethins' first half strike was enough to give the Donegal side a precious victory.

Gethins found the net on 34 minutes to earn Harps a first home win since March and with UCD losing 2-0 against Cork City, Paul Hegarty's side have moved out of the bottom three again. Harps were in control for the most part with Bray failing to force Gavin Cullen into a save throughout, although the visitors almost snatched a late draw when Ger Rowe's powerful volley rebounded off the post.

Before the lowest crowd of the season in Ballybofey, Harps made hard work of what was an otherwise comfortable win with a host of missed chances passed up by the home side making for a tense conclusion.

A raft of suspensions meant that managers Paul Hegarty and Eddie Gormley were forced into respective reshuffles. Harps boss Hegarty had to rejig an already skeleton-thin squad with the banned Shaun Williams, Shaun Holmes and Stuart Malcolm missing out as well as the substantial injured parties.

The home line-up showed four changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Bohs on Tuesday with Kevin Ramsay, Stephen Parkhouse, Marc Mukendi and Chris Breen the men to profit from the absentees. Mukendi partnered Declan Boyle at the heart of a defence that included Michael Funston at left back; Parkhouse began in the engine room with Breen on the right; and Ramsay started in attack.

Bray had to plan without the suspended Kevin Doherty, Ronan Ivory, Gary McCabe and Mark Duggan, although Seagulls boss Gormley was boosted with the news that 'keeper Alan Gough had recovered from a facial injury while Derek Foran and ex Harps star Ray Kenny passed late fitness tests.

Harps opened the brighter of the two with Declan Boyle heading a Gethins free wide of the target inside the first two minutes before Chris Breen forced Gough into saving with his legs after he carved a shooting chance on the edge of the area.

After Gavin Whelan failed to get the desired power and direction on his shot from 20 yards at one end, Harps came close to forcing the opener at the other when Gough was again called into action. Derek Pender and Derek Foran got their wires crossed, allowing Kevin Ramsay to get a sight of the target, but he was denied by the legs of the goalkeeper who had dived the other way.

Harps didn't have to wait too long to celebrate the breakthrough though as they got their noses in front on 34 minutes. Marc Mukendi's long ball out of defence was flicked into the path of Conor Gethins by Kevin Ramsay and the Lifford man rounded Gough before coolly rolling home his fourth goal of the season.

Just before the sides heading for the clubhouse at the interval, Alan Cawley came to the visitors' rescue when he was on hand to clear from the goal-line when Brolly's close-range volley from Breen's hooked cross squirmed past Gough.

Bray had kept themselves in the top six with a draw against St Patrick's Athletic seven days earlier, but tonight the Co Wicklow side lacked a cutting edge with Ger Rowe firing their best chance of the first hour wide of the mark as they began part two looking for a way back into the game. Chris Breen's lively endeavour on the right flank posed a constant question of the Bray back four and the flame-haired Stranorlar man forced Gough into action again with the custodian again equal to his effort.

Breen was in the thick of it again as the game entered its final quarter of an hour as he provided the assist for Ramsay, whose volley from eight yards cannoned back off the Bray post. The ex Institute man then shot over from inside the box after Alan Cawley flashed a free just wide for Bray while sub Emeka Onwubiko thought he had levelled matters only to be stopped in his tracks by the offside flag.

Breen and Gethins combined with an intricate series of passes that took them almost into the goal with the latter's final shot being deflected into the side netting as the small home crowd began to sense that the knockout blow was imminent.

That could and should have been netted three minutes from the end, but Gethins fired over after Breen squared having raced clear. The missed opportunities almost proved fatal as Ger Rowe thundered a volley off the post from Gary Cronin's cross with what was his side's first meaningful shot at Gavin Cullen's goal.

Finn Harps (4-4-2): Gavin Cullen; Sean Roddy, Declan Boyle, Marc Mukendi, Michael Funston; Chris Breen (Gerry Gill 90), Shaun McGowan, Stephen Parkhouse, Marc Brolly; Kevin Ramsay (Patrick Bonner 85), Conor Gethins.
Subs not used: Doherty, Fintan Bonner, James Gallagher.

Booked: Ramsay, Boyle, Brolly.

Bray Wanderers (4-4-2): Alan Gough; Derek Pender, Derek Foran, Ray Kenny, Gary Cronin; Patrick Kavanagh (Andy Meyler 85), Alan Cawley, Gavin Whelan, Paul Dunphy (Gareth Coughlan 70); Andrei Georgescu (Emeka Onwubiko 56), Ger Rowe.
Subs not used: Craig Hyland, Dane Massey.

Booked: Kenny.

Referee: Tom Connolly (Dublin).

Attendance: 800 (estimate)