Harps up to fourth with vital win

June 26, 2007

Finn Harps……..2

Kildare County…0

CHRIS MCNULTY

was at Finn Park, Ballybofey

FINN Harps moved up to fourth in the table with this comfortable two-nil win over Kildare County at Finn Park last night in a game that saw the Ballybofey side stretch their unbeaten run to six games and keep their seventh clean sheet in ten games.

Goals either side of half-time from Seamus Brown and Conor Gethins made sure of the three points for the hosts against a Kildare side that had Philip Gorman sent off on 81minutes for a stamp on Tony Shields right in front of referee Paul Tuite.

Paul Hegarty was forced into making one change from the side that had defeated Wexford Youths on Saturday night last with Seamus Brown replacing the suspended Stephen Parkhouse.

Harps got the breakthrough that their pressure deserved just short of the half-hour mark. A throw-in on the stand side made its way to Seamus Brown and the big Derryman turned onto the right boot before beating a couple of players and firing past Colin Cassidy from 20 yards.

It was no more than Brown and Harps deserved for their early endeavors as all the play had been in the Kildare third with Brown at the heartbeat of all that was good about Harps in the early jostles.

He slipped Marc Brolly through for a shot on goal on 13minutes, but the young Strabane man took too long and the ball was taken off his toe just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Harps could have had more than the one-goal advantage at the break. Conor Gethins was narrowly wide when he raced clear while Shaun Holmes had a shot well kept out by Cassidy.

Shaun Holmes came close to doubling the lead on 69, but his shot from outside the box was well tipped over the bar by the ‘keeper.

Six minutes later, the route one paid off when James Gallagher's long kick-out made its way to Conor Gethins, who cooly slotted under the body of Cassidy to make it two-nil.

To add to Kildare's woes, Philip Gorman was dismissed with nine minutes left.

This result, coupled with Athlone's draw with Monaghan, means that Harps are now up to fourth in the table, just seven adrift of Limerick with a game in hand.

Not a bad night's work!

Finn Harps: James Gallagher; Sean Roddy, Jonathan Minnock, Declan Boyle, Shaun Holmes; John O'Loughlin, Tony Shields, Shaun McGowan, Marc Brolly; Seamus Brown, Conor Gethins. Subs: Matthew Crossan (for Brolly, 63mins); Barry Tourish (for Gethins, 86mins); James Doherty (for O'Loughlin, 90mins).

Kildare County: Colin Cassidy; Sean L'Estrange, Darren Stapleton, Alan Byrne, Philip Byrne; Paul Donnelly, Stephen McCrossan, Alan McDermott, Padraig Ammond; Philip Gorman, Gary Walsh. Subs: Eoin Kavanagh (for Donnelly, h/t); Darragh Hannaphy (for Ammond, 59mins); Dean Barrett (for Walsh, 65mins).

Referee: Paul Tuite

Divin signs for Harps

By Chris McNulty

At last night's game at Finn Park, Paul Hegarty unveiled his first new signing for the July transfer window as Institute utility player Declan Divin was introduced to the crowd at half-time.

It was, in actual fact, Hegarty who began Divin's Stute career during his stint as manager of the Drumahoe-based club.

Since then, Divin has transformed from a midfielder to a striker and he has been rated as one of Stute's most consistent performers over the last couple of years and he chipped in with 12 goals during the last season.

Still only in his mid-20s, Divin has been brought to Finn Park in an attempt to ease the attacking woes that have developed in recent times.

Johnny Gallagher RIP

Prior to last night's game at Finn Park, a minute's silence was held in memory of the late Johnny Gallagher from Letterkenny, who passed away yesterday morning.

Johnny was a life-long supporter of the Harps and he will be sadly missed at Finn Park, where he served a time as President of the Club.

Now gone to join the true blues in Heaven Johnny, Rest In Peace.