No qualms from Healy
Credit:
Originally published in the Donegal Democrat
Finn Harps' director of football Felix Healy had few complaints about the two red cards his team picked up in their 5-2 loss to Cork City in the Airtricity League Division One at Turner's Cross on Friday night.
Stephen O'Donnell was given a straight red by referee Sean Grant five minutes into the second half following a lunge that forced Derek O'Brien to leave the field on a stretcher. Then, with Harps 4-2 down, Keith Cowan picked up a second yellow.
"The sending offs killed us," Healy admitted afterwards. "If Stephen looks back at the challenge he probably shouldn't have made it, although maybe on another day it might've been a yellow. For Keith's second caution, well I don't think he did himself any favours. When already on a yellow there was no need to do what he did."
Harps had gone to Leeside without having dirtied a sheet in some 390 minutes of football but that run of good form at the back was about to evaporate within minutes in an action-packed first half. However, there was an element of controversy about the opening goal when Davin O'Neill got the final touch on a Graham Cummins shot to steer home on 22 minutes.
"The only people in the whole ground who thought that was onside must have been the referee and his assistant," Healy added. "In fact, we conceded very soft goals all round, goals that were sloppy. But to be honest, the scoreline at half-time flattered us.
"But at the same time we were right in the game and had weathered the storm. We didn't start particularly well and the pace of the game was quicker than anything I've experienced and we found it very hard to deal with. defensively we were too easy to get at, especially down the
centre."
Despite Cork having dominated that first 45 minutes, Harps were very much still in the game thanks to two Blaine Curtis goals, which left them trailing 3-2 after Kalen Spillane and Daryl Horgan had added to O'Neill's strike beforehand. In the second half, though, Harps were to lose their way and Cummins scored two goals in the last 12 minutes to make sure of the three points.
"Friday night was a really good examination of where we are at," Healy said. "It was a night where we found out a great deal about people as it takes considerable character and bottle to go to a plan like Turner's Cross and get a result. Some people stood up well to the challenge, while others did not.
"It was good to get Conor O'Grady back on board and he played an hour having not started a match for six months because of his ankle injury. Also, Blain Curtis had a very good game and worked hard and was rewarded for that hard work with two goals."
Harps welcome Longford Town on Saturday night in their second last home fixture of the season. The red cards in Cork mean that both O'Donnell and Cowan will be suspended for the visit of the midlanders, as will goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher as he was booked for the fourth time this season for his protestations about Cork's opener. Christopher Patton is expected to deputise on his first start for the club.
Originally published in the Donegal Democrat
