- Alan Foley
- Sat, Jul 19 2014
Seeing as Finn Harps had shared two draws already this season in the SSE Airtricity League First Division, perhaps it wasn’t all that surprising that there was a third share of the spoils at Finn Park on Friday.
With both teams trying to bridge a gap to the top two of Longford Town and Shelbourne, it can be considered an opportunity missed both by the Finnsiders and their guests from the banks of the Corrib.
Going into the Ballybofey fixture, both had accumulated the highest amount of draws – seven apiece – in the second flight, so, again, the outcome wasn’t overly unpredictable.
Both goalkeepers could’ve considered voluntary redundancies in the first 45 minutes with neither tested. Harps, who lost six-goal Ruairí Keating after he returned to parent club Sligo Rovers earlier this month, looked solid enough defensively but offered little in attack. Same story for Galway.
In many ways, it was a continuation from the scoreless home draw Ollie Horgan’s team produced against Cobh Ramblers seven nights’ beforehand. That same evening, Tommy Dunne’s Galway were hammering Shamrock Rovers B by five goals to nil at Eamonn Deacy Park. They showed nothing like the same prowess in Donegal.
The closest either came in a claustrophobic encounter was when Harps’ Sean McCarron struck the Galway crossbar with a shot from the edge of the penalty area on 78 minsutes. It was the highlight of the night by a considerable distance.
Galway, in injury time, almost took the points with two close-run things at the bitter end. But a draw it was.
Within seven minutes, McCarron played a suicidal backpass towards goalkeeper Conor Winn, which Vinny Faherty nipped onto but the Galway FC’s shot was weak and dribbled wide.
Gary Shanaghan and Faherty, at the other end, both saw efforts drift wide. The half-chances, well quarter-chances – if you like - continued. Packie Mailey, following a corner when he was precisely located by Gareth Harkin, headed just wide of Ger Hanley’s back post on 25 minutes. A minute before the interval, Sean McCarron’s header, when Pat McCann centred, flew harmlessly over the crossbar.
The second half opened in similar fashion to the first had ended. Gareth Harkin saw two shots miss the target, the second of which came from a curling free-kick.
Galway also threatened in patches, with Faherty’s excellent glancing header from Marc Ludden’s cross narrowly over Winn’s crossbar. It was, at that point, bar far the best attempt of the contest - so well improvised by the former St Patrick’s Athletic striker. Jason Molloy, the visiting left-winger, then side-footed into the Harps side netting after a delicate pass from Ryan Connolly.
The quality of the opening improved and on 62 minutes, the first effort on target came – and went – when Carel Tiofak set McCarron in and Hanley scampered from his line to block. Just like buses, Galway, seconds later tested Winn through a bobbler from Jake Keegan, who never got control of the ball.
Thirteen minutes from time McCarron warmed the fingers of Hanley, whose save was still in the comfortable braket before, a minute afterwards, the Harps forward rattled the Galway crossbar.
Galway, through attempts from two substitutes, almost nicked the points in stoppage time. Firstly, Keegan headed over a yawning goal as Connolly and then Enda Curran’s chip landed on top of the net.
Finn Harps: Conor Winn; Caoimhin Bonner, Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan, Ciaran Coll; Damien McNulty (Tommy Bonnar 72); Carel Tiofack (Paul McVeigh 83), Pat McCann, Gareth Harkin, Sean McCarron; Kevin McHugh.
Subs not used: Shaun Patton (gk), Darragh Black, Graham Fisher.
Booked: McNulty (57).
Galway FC: Ger Hanley; Colm Horgan, Alex Byrne, Stephen Walsh, Marc Ludden; Gary Shanahan, Paul Sinnott, Ryan Connolly, Jason Molloy (Robbie Egan 82); Jake Keegan, Vinny Faherty (Enda Curran 66).
Subs not used: Conor Gleeson (gk), Padraig Cunningham, Richard Fahy.
Booked: None.
Referee: Darren Coombes (Dublin)
Attendance: 411
Extratime.ie Man of the match: Sean McCarron (Finn Harps).
