Athlone Town -v- Finn Harps

• Simon O'Gorman
• Tue, Apr 19 2011


Athlone Town and Finn Harps will be approaching Tuesday night’s rearranged Airtricity First Division fixtures from opposite directions as the home side look to add to last weekend’s win at Wexford while Harps will be desperate to exorcise the memory of their 5-0 hammering at the hands of Cork City. (Kick off, 7.45pm)

The poor form of Finn Harps has been one of the major surprises in the opening stages of the 2011 league season but the capitulation by James Gallagher’s men at the hands of Cork City on Friday night will have shocked even the most pessimistic of Harps fans. Gallagher kept his team in their Turner’s Cross dressing room for over an hour after that defeat, and was a bitterly disappointed man when he finally emerged.

“It’s hard to know what to say after that. Shocking defending would be a good way to describe it”, said Gallagher. “We gave away shocking goals and it’s very hard to sum it up at this stage after being beaten 5-0”.

Having played five league games to date Harps are still looking for their first win, their three points all having come from home draws. More pertinently, in view of their trip to Athlone, they have lost both their away games so far and have failed to score in their last four games, including a defeat in the EA Sports Cup to Mervue United. Indeed, the Donegal side have only scored four goals in the league, three of them coming from striker Kevin McHugh.

In contrast to the woes of their visitors Athlone enter this game having just secured their first win of the league season, defeating Wexford Youths at Ferrycarrig Park on Friday night thanks to a late goal from Tommy Barrett.

But this was a result hewn from a run of form as uninspiring as that now afflicting Finn Harps. Prior to the heroics in Wexford, Mike Kerley’s men had also gone three games without scoring and had also yielded just three points from their opening five games. In fact, with an extra game played, Athlone have managed to hit the net just twice in the league so far.

The achievements of Kerley’s young side can be put squarely down to defensive obstinacy and they have kept Waterford United, Cork City and now Wexford scoreless. However, a 4-0 defeat to Shelbourne indicates what can happen if they lose control at the back.

In the heel of the hunt Gallagher and Harps will be delighted at such an early opportunity to make amends for the disaster in Cork although they should expect Athlone to play behind the ball for large portions of a game in which they will be striving to earn their first win of 2011.

It may not be pretty but, with the conflicting motivations of these two teams, Tuesday night’s game should at least prove interesting.

Athlone Town
Injured: Jamie Carr (hamstring), Gary Higgins (hamstring).
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Finn Harps
Injured: Garbhan Friel (knee).
Doubtful: Ciaran Coll, Ciaran Gallagher.
Suspended: Marc Brolly.

Paddy Power Odds: Athlone Town 9/5; Draw 21/10; Finn Harps 11/8.
Extratime prediction: A narrow 1-0 win for Finn Harps.