Finn Harps 1 - 2 Longford Town

Longford Town inflicted a fourth defeat of the season on Finn Harps on a treacherous and unforgiving night in Ballybofey on Saturday night.

The midlander’s made it four wins from five against their northwest counterparts in 2011 as a Ciaran Gallagher own goal and a Mark Salmon winner cancelled out a Blaine Curtis strike during a washout at the Donegal venue.

The absence of front-men Kevin McHugh (injured) and Stephen O’Donnell (suspended) was all too apparent for the home side, who badly lacked an experienced general in attack to lead the line with authority.

Curtis, as ever, displayed an abundance of energy but his partners up alongside him in either half – Gary Curran and Marc Brolly – were not natural, out and out strikers.

Longford, on the other hand, were allowed to pick up an all too easy three points, with both goals coming from very avoidable defensive errors.  

In a first half that was as ugly and depressing as the weather, Longford created the more goal-mouth action, though Harps probably just shaded possession.

Jean Biansumba, playing off target man Austin Skelly, threatened with a couple of headers in the opening exchanges but on both occasions was off-target. Thomas Crawley also went close midway through the half but his glancing header from a Graham Dowling inswinger drifted the wrong side of the post.

A neat move involving Marc Brolly and Barry O’Mahoney resulted in Harps’ only real chance of the first half, a twenty-five yard daisy-cutter from Conor O’Grady, who is still trying to find full match-fitness following a lengthy lay-off.

Back up the other end and after Brolly jack-knifed Mark Salmon on the edge of the area, Skelly had the chance to test Gallagher, but his effort went straight down the throat of the Harps goalkeeper.

A few minutes later and the Town front-man forced Gallagher into a wonderful diving save with a sweetly struck low drive from distance across the slippery deck.

Conditions were proving difficult to say the least and with only two minutes until the interval Longford took the lead when a routine cross into the box by Crawley was fumbled into the net by Gallagher.

A quick reshuffle at the break with the introduction of full-back Ciaran Coll for O’Mahoney allowed Gareth Harkin to press further up-field, with Brolly partnering Curtis up top, which allowed for a more balanced attacking approach.

And the home side didn’t have to wait too long before they were back on level terms as Gary Curran whipped in a delicious first-time cross to the back post where Curtis arrived to slam home an emphatic leveller with a confidently-struck effort into the roof of the net.

Harps felt somewhat aggrieved that they weren’t awarded a penalty midway through the second half when Jeff Flood appeared to topple Packie Mailey inside the area. However, referee Paul McLaughlin showed little interest and Longford were let off the hook.

The visitors then retook the lead in the seventy-first minute when Gallagher picked up a back-pass from O’Hagan, allowing Skelly to tee up Mark Salmon, who thundered home from eight yards past a wall of Harp bodies spread across the goal-line.

Harps tried to hit back in the closing stages to force a second equaliser but the away side were able to withstand a barrage of late corners.

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Thomas Bonnar, Packie Mailey, Aaron O’Hagan, Gareth Harkin; Kevin Devaney, Conor O’Grady, Barry O’Mahoney, Marc Brolly; Gary Curran, Blaine Curtis. Subs: Ciaran Coll (O’Mahoney, h.t), Mark Forker (Devaney, 72 mins).

Longford Town: Alvin Rouse; Graham Dowling, Thomas Hyland, Jeff Flood, Gary Cronin; Cathal Brady, Mark Salmon, James O’Brien, Thomas Crawley; Jean Biansumba, Austin Skelly. Sub: Paul Hunt (Biansumba ,72 mins).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.