Harps hold their nerve June 18, 2007 A lengthy period of 210 minutes of football had failed to separate these sides with the replay being required after a draw at Terryland Park on Friday night and they proved inseparable over 120 minutes on Monday. It was down to the only means possible to determine the winner, and loser - the gut-wrenching lottery that is the penalty shoot-out. Just as they had done 15 months previously, Harps overcame the Tribesmen on spot-kicks. James Gallagher once again emerged as the hero for the hosts as he repeated his feat of last year's League Cup tie, saving two of Galway's four penalties with Ciaran Foley and John Lestor the unlucky parties who were denied by the Gortahork man. Harps' Jonathan Minnock saw Gary Rogers save his side's second penalty, but Conor Gethins, Stephen Parkhouse and Shaun Holmes all found the target, leaving the task of netting the winning penalty down to young right back Sean Roddy. The Derryman coolly stepped up and made no mistake in dispatching his kick beyond Rogers to put Harps into the hat for the last sixteen. This was the second meeting of these sides in just four days after they had played out a two-all draw in Terryland Park in the initial clash on Friday night. Second half goals from Conor Gethins, from the penalty spot, and Stephen Parkhouse had given Harps a second bite at the cherry. Paul Hegarty made just one change to his starting line-up with Sean Roddy getting a recall to the back four in place of the injured Eloka Asokhu. The Harps manager was already working from a threadbare squad and he was forced into an early substitution with Barry Curran having to be withdrawn from action on 25minutes having twigged a hamstring. Chances were certainly not in abundance in the first period with both sides restricted to half chances in the opening 45minutes, although it was the visitors who enjoyed the better of these. Derek Glynn's snap-shot on eleven minutes bounced awkwardly in front of Gallagher, but he did well to turn the ball round the post while Wesley Charles poked over the bar after breaking away from his man to latch onto a set-piece. Stephen Parkhouse fired Harps' best opportunity of the first half over the bar from distance. After the break, it was Harps who settled the quickest and they had a couple of good chances in the early phases. Seamus Brown shot wide after being cleverly picked out by Gethins and, two minutes later, John O'Loughlin headed wastefully over the bar from close range. On the hour mark, James Gallagher came to Harps' rescue with a brilliant save from John Lestor at point-blank range after O'Flynn had deflected Murphy's pass into the path of the ex-Limerick man. Substitute Barry Moran gave the Finn Park crowd something to worry about eight minutes from time when he glanced a header across the face of goal. It wasn't to be and it was onto the thirty minutes of extra time. Inside that half an hour, both sides came close to breaking the deadlock, with Harps' Conor Gethins having a superb half volley from all of 25yards dip narrowly and agonisingly seconds too late as it cleared Rogers' crossbar. Barry Moran was thwarted by Gallagher, who also did well to tip over from O'Flynn's chipped attempt when there were protests that Harps defender Declan Boyle handled inside the box. But, these sides weren't going to be content unless they would contest a shoot-out and that is exactly what they did with a sizeable number of the Finn Park attendance making their way to behind the Town End goals where the kicks were taken. Fortune favours the brave and it was Finn Harps who were the bravest on
Monday night, with young Roddy, in particular, showing great composure
to step up and convert the winning penalty.
Harps will join fellow Donegal side Fanad United in the draw for the
last sixteen which is due to be made sometime in July. Galway United: Gary Rogers; Colm James, Philip Reilly, Wesley Charles, Regillio Nootimeer; John Lestor, David Cooke, Alan Murphy, Derek O'Brien; Derek Glynn, Stephen O'Flynn. Subs: Ciaran Foley (for James, 70mins); Barry Moran (for Glynn, 73mins); Iarfhlaith Davoren (for O'Brien, 103mins). Referee: Mr. Tom Connolly (Dublin).
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