Wexford Youths -v- Finn Harps

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Jul 21 2011


Wexford are looking for their first back to back victories of the season and Finn Harps are regrouping under the new leadership of Peter Hutton. But Friday night’s clash at Ferrycarrig Park will test the credentials of both of these struggling sides. (Kick off, 8pm)

Last weekend Wexford Youths put an end to a run of eight consecutive league defeats when they verturned local rivals Waterford United at the RSC. Ben Ryan got the only goal of the game, his fourth league goal of the season and with the contiued absence of top scorere Danny Furlong due to suspension, Ryan will again be thr focus of Wexford’s goal-scoring ambitions.

Wexford boss, Noel O’Connor, will have been pleased to see his defence keep a clean sheet at Waterford last Friday, only the third that they have managed this year, and he will no doubt be aware that one of the other two was claimed in a 1-0 win against Finn Harps in Donegal earlier in the season.

In fact, somewhat bizarrely, all nine of Wexford’s league points have been won away from home and O’Connor will be aware that if his side are to register any kind of meaningful improvement they will need to start taking points on home soil.

O’Connor will again be without the suspended Furlong for Friday’s game, along with Tom Elmes ho is unavailable. But striker David Grincell has returned to training after an operation on his appendix and may return to action at some point during the evening.

As things stand Wexford are just three points behind Harps who have perhaps had an even more disappointing campaign than their hosts. Five defeats and two draws in their opening seven games led to the dismissal of manager James Gallagher back in April and new boss Peter Hutton then experienced a further three losses in his opening games.

Then came the breakthrough win against Athlone and victories against Waterford and Salthill Devon followed. But the Donegal side have since gone on to lose their last three league games and it is somewhat tricky to figure where exactly they stand in terms of their recovery. Perhaps the result against Wexford will go some way to clarifying their current status.

Peter Hutton will be without a number of players for the game. Stephen O’Donnell suffered a hamstring strain that forced him to leave the field last week after just 16 minutes following an enterprising opening and is out. Packie Mailey was due to have an x-ray yesterday on a broken bone in a foot and remains the player likely to be out for the longest time, in his case another month at least. Paddy McLaughlin’s hamstring injury is not as bad as first feared but too remains sidelined.

James Doherty, who has been absent for the last month with a medial ligament injury, could return while Marc Brolly, who had a slight hamstring injury, is back from honeymoon and was expected to train last night. Kevin McHugh can boost Harps up front with a comeback from suspension.

Wexford Youths
Injured: None.
Doubtful: David Grincell.
Unavailable: Tom Elmes.
Suspended: Danny Furlong.

Finn Harps
Injured: Stephen O'Donnell, Packie Mailey, Paddy McLaughlin.
Doubtful: James Doherty, Marc Brolly
Suspended: None.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer.
Paddy Power Odds: Wexford 6/4; Draw 11/5; Harps 8/5.
Extratime prediction: A tight game that Harps might edge if only because of the poaching instincts of Kevin McHugh.