League Preview: Finn Harps -v- Cobh Ramblers

• Macdara Ferris
• Thu, Mar 20 2014




FINN HARPS

Sitting second in the early season First Division table, Finn Harps welcome Cobh Ramblers to Ballybofey on Friday evening (kick off 8pm). Ollie Horgan’s men will be looking for their third clean sheet in a row and a second win of the league campaign, to go with their draw against Waterford United in Finn Park on the opening night of the season.

 

Harps travelled to Tallaght last Sunday and won 3-0 against Shamrock Rovers’ B team. Playing three at the back, Horgan’s team exploited their physical advantage to score all three goals from set pieces.

 

“Obviously I was delighted to get a win, considering the number of players out injured,” said Ollie Horgan. “But, I felt the score line flattered us a little as it could have gone either way until we scored the second goal. Keeping a clean sheet away from home was pleasing, as was the fact that we got a result without playing particularly well.”

 

Horgan could only name five substitutes on the bench in Tallaght due to key players being injured. He also took the opportunity to give some of his younger players game time in the Ulster Senior League last Sunday rather than sit on the bench in Dublin. Josh Mailey played his first game for Harps in the local league last weekend.

 

“Sean McCarron has suffered a fracture to his cheek bone – it was operated on Saturday last and he will be out for around 6 weeks,” confirmed Horgan. “Ciaran Coll was admitted to hospital last week with stomach and chest pains and the timescale for his absence is up in the air a little pending results of tests. Kevin McHugh and Gareth Harkin have ongoing hamstring problems but we hope to have them back in a week or two.

 

“Cobh will be a huge task for us. They have great attacking threats. Bobbi Donoghue and Martin Deady will need constant watching down the flanks. Damien O’Rourke has come in at centre half and will provide huge experience as well as problems to us at set pieces. Even if we had a full panel to choose from, this game would be difficult so we know what lies ahead for us.”

 

 

COBH RAMBLERS

Cobh have a round trip of over 850km as they travel to Finn Park on Friday evening to face Harps. The Rams’ 3-2 defeat last week in Wexford, followed on from their draw on the opening night of the season at home to the Shamrock Rovers B Team.

 

Manager Martin Cambridge will have been pleased that his team finished both those games strongly. An 88^th minute goal from James Carson earned them a point in their campaign opener against Rovers. Last weekend they couldn’t quite find an equaliser in Ferrycarraig Park even with Youths down to 10 men for the last few minutes of the game.

 

David Walsh and Robert Waters scored the goals against Wexford in a game that required a number of Under 19 players to step into the squad due to injury and suspension.

 

Brendán Frahill, Andrew Bhandarkar, Ron Stanton and Mikey O’Shea were all unavailable last weekend and it remains to be seen whether they will make the long journey north for this game.

 

Referee: Eoghan O’Shea.

 

 

MATCH STATS

Harps and Cobh played each other six times last season, including twice in the FAI Cup. Between them they scored a total of 26 goals in the six games with Harps winning on three occasions and Cobh just once. The two other games of which both were at Finn Park finished in draws – one in the league and one in the FAI Cup.

 

Cobh Ramblers failed to win a single league game on the road last season. Their only away victory in 2013 came in a 4-3 win over St. Patrick’s CYFC in the FAI Cup.

 

Finn Harps scored 17 league goals at home last season with only Salthill Devon scoring less with 12. Cobh Ramblers conceded 31 goals away from home and again only Salthill faired worse than that as they let in 32 goals in their 14 away games.

 

BETTING

Finn Harps 8/15; Draw 13/5; Cobh Ramblers 5/1.


 

PREDICTION

2-1.

 

 

Finn Harps

Injured: Kevin McHugh (hamstring), Gareth Harkin (hamstring), Sean McCarron (fractured cheek), Ciaran Coll (chest).
Suspended: None.


Cobh Ramblers

Injured: None. 
Suspended: None.