Derry City -v- Finn Harps

• Aidan O'Donnell
• Fri, Oct 22 2010


Finn Harps might not have had too many things to shout about this season but a first ever win, or even a draw, against champions-elect Derry City in the Brandywell on Friday night would definitely go some way to erasing what went before in the 2010 campaign (kick-off 7.45).

Harps travel across the border knowing their opponents require three points to land the First Division title, otherwise they will need to go to Gortakeegan in the final game of the season needing to avoid defeat to prevent one of the greatest collapses in League of Ireland history, having led the way at one stage by thirteen points.

Monaghan are away to Mervue United on Saturday night, so should take their points tally to sixty-five – currently what Derry have accumulated. So, basically, if Harps can take anything off Derry tonight and Monaghan get what should be a formality three points in Galway, then the title race will not be decided until the last game of the season in Monaghan.

Waterford, meanwhile, are not quite out of the reckoning on sixty points, but would really need Harps to take maximum points on the Lone Moor Road on Friday night, if they are to stand any remote chance of leapfrogging both Monaghan and Derry.

Harps’ best performance of the season came against Derry, when they held them to a 1-1 draw in the league at Finn Park at the end of July. They head into the Brandywell on the back of another solid showing after picking up their first win since a 3-2 triumph over Salthill in mid August, with Kevin McHugh on hand to bag his fourth goal in as many games to seal a 1-0 win over Cork City Foras Co-op last Friday night.

“When we came in for training on Sunday it was obvious what the result had done. Boys had smiles on their faces and if anything were probably a wee bit too giddy and I had to calm them down a bit. But it was good to see because we’ve been working very hard every week and maybe just not getting the results when the games come around, so there was a bit of extra satisfaction that we got the result to go with the performance,” said Harps boss James Gallagher on the impact of last week’s win.

Harps will be boosted by the return of both Gary Whoriskey and Tommy Bonner from suspension, but must plan without youngsters Raymond Foy and Gary Merritt who are both away on interprovincial duty, while Tony Shields has been ruled out for the season with an arm injury and Ciaran Coll has suffered a minor set-back with a knee complaint.

The Harps manager, whose side got their first clean-sheet since early July against Cork, admitted they will need to give as good a performance as last Friday night if they are to take anything away from the Brandywell, but in all likelihood, surpass it.

“It’s not really that complicated if you do what is required in each game – you will be there or thereabouts if the basics are performed and you work hard throughout. We’ll probably need to put in an even better performance than the one against Cork if we are to get anything out of the game.

“But the boys are looking forward to it. Without being too disrespectful, we could be going to somewhere like Athlone in our penultimate game of the season with nothing at stake, but instead we’re going to play a team who are playing for the league title.

“The boys should be thankful of that. And I think in a season where the boys and myself probably won’t get any great deal of credit for the season we had, if we were to get a result in Derry it would certainly give us something positive to reflect upon.”

Derry and Harps have met three times this season, with the Foylesider’s twice running out 2-0 victors when they clashed in the Brandywell – once in the league and then a week later for the league-cup – while the Donegal side fought back to earn a 1-1 draw in Ballybofey.

Derry City
Injured: Unknown
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Unknown

Finn Harps
Injured: Chris Breen, Tony Shields, Ciaran Coll
Absent: Raymond Foy, Gary Merritt
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None

Referee: P. McLaughlin