Harps went into the game having defeated league leaders at Finn Park on their last league outing, but they were on the back of a 4-1 defeat to Shelbourne in mid-week which could have dented confidence.

Cobh, meanwhile, were nine games unbeaten in League competition and many would have predicted them to continue that sequence with a win over Anthony Gorman's Harps.

The visitors showed three changes from the side which had suffered defeat in Tolka Park on Wednesday night last with James Gallagher returning in goal in place of Gavin Cullen.

Also returning to action was Chris Breen, who came in to replace Matthew Crossan while young Shane O Connor made his first senior start replacing player-boss, Gorman, in the starting lineup.

Harps were again without the services of Shane Bradley through work commitments while the Crossan brothers were absentees as they were attending their sister's wedding.

Shaun Cooney -Impressive Performance in Goal!l

After eight minutes, in the breezy and wet conditions, Harps grabbed the lead goal when Chris Malseed slotted home for his second goal in four days after good approach play from Conor Gethins.

Fourteen minutes later, Harps were dealt a blow when James Gallagher was rather harshly sent off. The Gorthahork shot-stopper was dismissed when he came out to clear from Dave Warren.

With no recognised goalkeeper on the bench – Gavin Cullen still feeling the effects of his clash with Glen Crowe on Wednesday – centre-half Sean Cooney was deployed between the sticks.

Afterwards, Harps boss Anthony Gorman suggested that he would be appealing the red card issued to his goalkeeper.

Early in the second period, the home side – under the watchful eye of a certain Roy Keane, returning to his native pastures – got back on level terms when Steve Yelverton lobbed over Cooney.

Harps responded in superb fashion though and young Davitt Walsh claimed the vital three points for them when he struck home from a difficult angle.

This result was all the more remarkable when one considers that Harps played almost 70 minutes with ten men and without the services of a recognised goalkeeper.

Perhaps their season is about to turn the corner for the better at long last!

Finn Harps: James Gallagher, Shaun Mc Gowan, Eloka Asokuh, Sean Cooney, David Bell, Chris Malseed, Chris Breen (Ryan McGavigan 90), Jonathan Minnock, Shane O'Connor, Conor Gethins (Stephen O'Donnell 90), Davitt Walsh.

Finn Harps Dot Com Man of the Match: David Bell put in yet another commendable performance in the left full-back berth while Chris Breen worked tirelessly throughout on the right side of the Harps midfield. Both players, along with Lifford man Conor Gethins and Shaun Cooney who stepped up to take the keeper shirt and performed impressively came close to clinching the award, but for his outstanding contribution in two positions he is unaccustomed to, Jonathan Minnock gets the nod. A workhorse in the middle of the park and when he moved back to centre half, Minno was a collosus.