Mervue United 3 - 0 Finn Harps

Mervue United recorded the biggest win of Friday night in the Airtricity League as they finally claimed their first overdue win of the season as they saw off Finn Harps once again at Fahy’s Field.

Johnny Glynn’s Galway side scored on the stroke of half time as Alan Murphy scored his first goal for the club and they then added two more goals in the second period to secure the points that moved them off the bottom of the table.

In a rather uneventful opening 25 minutes, Mervue’s Gary Kelly shot narrowly wide and Harps Blain Curtis forced a save from Ronan Forde. The first real chance of the game arrived on 26 minutes when Murphy held off Ciaran Coll in the box but hit his effort was too close to Rory Kelly who palmed the ball away.

Ten minutes later and Murphy released a lovely ball over Harps fullback James Doherty for Jason Molloy to run onto and advance into the box but Kelly was equal to his near post shot, pushing it away for a corner kick.

Harps’ Curtis then had two efforts in as many minutes at the other end as, first, Forde did well to block the striker’s shot, before he then shot just wide from the edge of the box when left unmarked on 40 minutes.

The home team struck for the opener a minute before the break after they won a free-kick just outside the box. Midfielder Shane Keogh played a lovely ball through to Murphy in the box and the experienced striker turned quickly before sliding the ball past Kelly and into the far corner.

Mervue should have doubled that lead three minutes after the break when Alex Lee set up Pat Hoban but the striker blasted his shot from inside the box over Kelly’s crossbar. Hoban had another close range effort blocked by Peter Hutton, while Molloy rounded Kelly after a ball from Ludden released him into the box, but he mis-hit his effort into the side netting.

Adam Clarke’s ball set up Harps striker Kevin McHugh on the hour mark but Forde saved well and the home keeper did even better on 63 minutes pushing McHugh’s close range header away for a corner.

Mervue continued to look dangerous with Molloy, Hoban and Murphy all linking up well when the home side pushed forward. Molloy was finally rewarded for his display with 11 minutes remaining. An excellent passing move involving Murphy, Hoban and Ludden saw a number of passes exchanged before Ludden’s ball allowed Molloy beat the offside trap and coolly bend the ball around Kelly and into the net for 2-0.

Glynn’s team continued to push for a third as they could see the finishing line and a first win in sight. Molloy had a shot saved by Kelly as Mervue finished strongly and Murphy then pulled the ball back to sub Barry McEntee deep in injury time and he fired the ball into the bottom corner to cap a first win of 2012 as Glynn’s side move above city rivals SD Galway and off the bottom of the First Division.

Mervue Utd: Ronan Forde, Michael McSweeney, Mike Elwood, Damien O’Rourke, Marc Ludden; Alex Lee, Gary Kelly (Barry McEntee 75), Shane Keogh, Jason Molloy; Alan Murphy, Pat Hoban (Mike Collins 90).

Subs not used: Conor O’Malley (GK), Etanda Nkololo, Martin Conneely, Noel Varley, Stephen Walsh.

Booked: Gary Kelly (64).

Finn Harps: Rory Kelly; James Doherty, Peter Hutton, Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll; Adam Clarke, Shaun McGowan, Shane McGinty, Paul Simon Treacy (Matt Harkin 61); Kevin McHugh, Blain Curtis.

Subs not used: Shaun Patton (GK), Barry O’Mahony, Thomas Bonner, Ciaran Greene, Hugh Carlin.

Booked: Curtis (13), McGowan (44), Hutton (72).

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).

Attendance: 215

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Alan Murphy (Mervue Utd).