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Finn Harps -v- Waterford United
- Aidan O'Donnell
- Sat, Jun 11 2011
Following their controversial exit from the FAI Cup on Monday, its’ back to the grind and struggles of the league for Finn Harps tomorrow night, Saturday, when they welcome Waterford United to Ballybofey. (Kick-off 7.45pm)
With Harps some twenty-one points adrift of the top three, the Cup offered the Ballybofey side something to keep them interested for the rest of the season, but with that done and dusted for another year, it’s hard to gauge what the remainder of 2011 will have in store.
The acquisition of several players in July should make the second half of the season quite interesting and manager Peter Hutton has targeted several areas that he feels need strengthening.
“We need to be more creative in the final third for a start”, he said. “The lads are working hard and we can see that they're much more organised now and there's a good shape to the team. We’d like to bring in a few more bodies but... we’ll need to do some juggling, because we’re tight with the finances.”
Harps league form has remained poor under their new boss and the five games since he took over have brought four defeats. However, the one win against fellow strugglers Athlone Town will have planted a seed of hope among Harps fans.
Hutton will be gald to welcome back top-scorer kevin McHugh who was suspended for the Cup replay but is still without the inured Conor O’Grady and Gary Whoriskey.
Harps also defeated Letterkenny Rovers 3-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night, with new acquisition Sean McCarron grabbing one of the goals, while Oisin McMenamin bagged a brace. McCarron, along with Stephen O’Donnell, will be available to play for Harps in the Airtricity League from July 1st onwards, when the summer transfer window opens up.
Waterford, meanwhile, are a side who inflicted the first of nine league defeats on Finn Harps back in March, when a Willie John Kiely goal thirteen minutes from time earned the south-easterner’s three points at the RSC. Since then, Stephen Henderson has got the sack as Waterford boss after suffering six defeats from their opening twelve league games.
However the stats show that Waterford have won three of their last five league outings, only losing to promotion candidates Monaghan and Limerick by a single goal. Saturday’s game represents the first league challenge for the new management trio of Paul O’Brien, Billy Hearne and Alan Barry and with an FAI Cup win against New Ross under their belts they will be hoping to keep up the good work.
Finn Harps
Injured: Conor O’Grady, Gary Whoriskey.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Waterford United
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Referee: Darren Coombes.
Paddy Power Odds: Harps 7/2; Draw 9/4; Waterford 3/4.
Extratime prediction: Away win, 2-0.
About Aidan O'Donnell
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