Finn Harps 1 - 1 Wexford Youths

• Aidan O'Donnell
• Fri, Sep 24 2010


Second half goals from Kevin McHugh and Gary Sheahan means it’s how you were for Finn Harps and Wexford Youths after the pair played out an entertaining draw at Finn Park tonight.

McHugh notched the opener just before the hour mark before it was cancelled out less than ten minutes later when Sheahan capitalised on a defensive mix-up on the edge of the area.

The home side were reduced to ten men three minutes before the end when Packie Mailey, cynically, took down Danny Furlong, who had a free run on goal. The Harps skipper had little choice and ultimately no qualms with the referee’s decision as Harps ended the game a man light.

With the visitors holding a three-point gap over their Donegal counterparts in the race for seventh, it’s the south easterners who would have been most pleased by the stalemate.

Harps made two changes from the side that were defeated by Shelbourne last week with Tony Shields returning from a two-game ban to partner Tommy Bonner in the engine room, while Keith Cowan came in for the suspended Gary Whoriskey.

Ramelton man, Cowan, partnered skipper Packie Mailey in the heart of defence, allowing Mattie Crossan the opportunity to take up his more desired berth at left-back.

Harps probably just shaded a first-half that was littered with half-chances, though like last week’s game at Tolka Park, the killer touch was badly missing in front of goal.

Marc Brolly had the home side’s first real chance after just five minutes when he burst into the box to get on the end of a Mark Forker cross, but the Strabane man was narrowly off with his connection, firing inches over the ‘bar.

A couple of long range attempts from Shane Dempsey aside, it was a quiet opening forty-five minutes for Harps ‘keeper Gavin Cullen. Both shots, incidentally, were straight at the Inishowen netminder.

Wexford then gifted Harps a great chance of making the breakthrough when a slip from Anto Russell allowed Marc Brolly time and space to burst into the box. However, with little to aim for in the middle, the winger hesitated, allowing Greg Ylverton the chance to get back and make a timely intervention.

On twenty-seven minutes, Harps had another opportunity, this time from a Mark Forker corner. Stephen McLaughlin was quickest to react but couldn’t get a full enough contact and Packie Holden, gratefully, was able to make a comfortable point-blank save.

Harps were perhaps a little fortunate not to have picked up a couple of bookings when firstly, Matthew Crossan upended Gary Sheehan on the sideline, and then Marc Brolly’s high boot connected with Anthony Wolfe. On each occasion, however, referee Paul McLaughlin gave nothing more than a mild telling off.

Both sides came out after the restart with a bit more urgency about them, though again clear-cut chances were at a premium until just under the hour mark when the home side broke the deadlock. Marc Brolly, lively and ambitious throughout, broke down the left flank before crossing into a crowded penalty area. The ball evaded everybody but Harps’ top scorer Kevin McHugh, whose downward punt just about squeezed past Holden.

The lead didn’t last long, though, as Wexford hit back less than ten minutes later when the home side dilly-dallied on the edge of their own penalty area, allowing Gary Sheehan a pop at goal. The striker’s shot seemed to lack sufficient power, but it somehow found its way past Harps ‘keeper Cullen.

Immediately after the leveller, Harps boss James Gallagher introduced Gary Merritt in place of Stephen McLaughlin, while Youth’s made two swaps – Ben Ryan coming on for Rowe and Shane Nolan replacing Broaders, as each side looked to push on for all three points.

Neither side were capable nor worthy of a winner, though Furlong might well have had the last say if it wasn’t for Mailey’s deliberate and illegal intervention.

Finn Harps: Gavin Cullen; James Doherty, Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan, Matt Crossan; Mark Forker, Tommy Bonner, Tony Shields, Marc Brolly; Kevin McHugh, Stephen McLaughlin.
Subs: Gary Merritt (McLaughlin, 70 mins), Oisin McMenamin (Shields, 79 mins).

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden; Anthony Wolfe, Chris Kenny, Garrett McCurtin, Anto Russell,; Kevin Rowe, Greg Ylverton, Shane Dempsey, Dean Broaders; Danny Furlong, Gary Sheehan.
Subs: Shane Nolan (Broaders, 77 mins), Ben Ryan (Rowe, 69 mins), Martin Kehoe (Kenny, 89 mins).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.