- Stuart Connolly
- Sat, Nov 06 2021
An action packed five minutes towards the end of this north-west derby ensured that both sides had to settle for a point.
After a relatively quiet first half, Ethan Boyle headed home from a free-kick with less than ten minutes to go in the second half but just two minutes later he had a penalty awarded against him for handball - a penalty which Jamie McGonagle scored.
Results elsewhere meant that Harps moved out of the relegation playoff on goal difference while Derry remained in fourth, three points above Bohemians, who have a game in hand.
Both sides made two changes after their last outings in the league with Ryan Rainey and Will Seymore in the starting line-up for Harps while Ciaron Harkin and Bastien Hery got a starting berth for Derry.
It was the hosts who started on the front foot in this encounter and they showed their attacking intent very early with Tunde Owolabi smashing a shot into the side netting.
Ethan Boyle also got in on the attacking threat, with a shot from distance that tested Nathan Gartside.
Harps enjoyed their fair share of the possession in the first half an hour but despite this they failed to test Gartside beyond the tenth minute. Derry's efforts in the attacking third lacked that killer touch at times and some of their ventures forward were well halted by the home defence.
There was an appeal for a penalty on the half hour with Cameron McJannett getting in the way of a Will Seymore effort, home fans claimed for a handball but the referee waved away the protests.
The visitors' only real chance during the first half came five minutes before the interval with Ciaron Harkin firing just wide from the edge of the area.
The second half started in a very open fashion in terms of possession but the word scarce was thrown around in terms of chances created for either side.
There was lots at stake for both sides for very different reasons with the hosts facing the fear of a relegation playoff while Derry looked to nail down a European place.
Hearts were in mouths - for both sets of fans - as the game approached its final ten as Jamie McGonagle lobbed the onrushing McGinley and everyone could only watch as the ball landed on the roof of the net.
Just five minutes later, the roof was lifted off Finn Park as the hosts broke the deadlock.
After getting a free kick close to the corner flag, Connolly whipped the ball in and Ethan Boyle rose the highest to head home.
Harps ecstasy was quickly turned to agony just two minutes later with a spot-kick awarded to Derry after a handball in the area by Boyle and substitute Jamie McGonagle converted into the bottom left corner.
It looked like Harps had snatched the points near the end but Derry had the final say as they shared the spoils of an entertaining north-west derby.
Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; Jordan Mustoe, Kosovar Sadiki, David Webster, Ethan Boyle; Will Seymore, Mark Coyle(Karl O'Sullivan 68), Ryan Rainey, Ryan Connolly, Barry McNamee(Adam Foley 76); Tunde Owolabi(Luke Rudden 90).
Subs not used: Gerard Doherty, Johnny Dunleavy, Mark Timlin, Shane McEleney, Dan Hawkins, Stephen Doherty.
Booked: Ryan Rainey (55), Jordan Mustoe (71), Shane McEleney (29), Karl O'Sullivan (89).
Derry City: Nathan Gartside; Ciaran Coll, Ciaron Harkin, Eoin Toal, Cameron McJannet(Ronan Boyce 76); Joe Thomson, Bastien Hery(Jamie McGonagle 71), Danny Lafferty, Jack Malone(Will Fitzgerald 85); James Akintunde, Junior Ogedi Uzokwe.
Subs not used: Jack Lemoignan, Mark McChrystal, Gerard Storey, Darren Cole, Evan McLaughlin, Patrick Ferry.
Booked: Cameron McJannet (38) Eoin Toal (75).
Referee: Ben Connolly
ExtraTime.ie Player of the Match: Ryan Connolly (Finn Harps)
