PRECIOUS AWAY POINT FOR HARPS 15 September, 2006 Dundalk 1 Finn Harps 1
Chris McNulty reports from Oriel Park Finn Harps battled their way to a one-all draw with top-of-the-table Dundalk at Oriel Park tonight as Anthony Gorman's men picked up their first point in four league games, in a contest which marked the Harps manager's 50 th game in charge of the team. Dundalk were coming into the game on the back of a rich run of form which had propelled them into pole position, while Harps were on a contrasting run having gone four game on the bounce without tasting victory. Added to their woes, Harps were without the suspended Barry Curran, who was red-carded during the one-nil defeat to Shamrock Rovers on Tuesday night last, while Eloka Asokhu failed to shake off a groin injury and he also missed out. Young Shane O'Connor took the place of the big Nigerian in the starting line up with Ryan McGavigan deployed at left-midfield. In a third change to the starting line up, the player-manager opted to throw himself in from the start at the expense of Matthew Crossan, who had picked up a knock in the meeting with Shamrock Rovers. Seven minutes in, the injury troubles continued for the Ballybofey-based outfit as Davitt Walsh was forced off after taking a heavy hit from Paul Marney with Darren Meenan replacing him alongside Stephen O'Donnell in the Harps attack. The two were at the centre of the action after 28 minutes with a move Harps will feel should have resulted in a goal. O'Donnell made ground and, with the Dundalk defence parting in front of him, he opted to thread the ball through for Meenan, but his pass was over hit and the chance gone. Shane Bradley then tested Bennion with a header from close range after a teasing corner from Gorman, but this was to be as close as Harps would come to breaking the deadlock in the first period. The closing stages of the first half were dominated by the home side, who will feel that they should have made a telling breakthrough before the change of ends. Indeed they came within a whisker of doing so on the half hour mark when right-back John Flanagan watched his headed come crashing off the crossbar. Moments later, James Gallagher was called into action when he pulled off a fine save from a Philip Hughes drive from long range while Peter Hynes was unlucky not to fire his side in front when he pounced on a mistake from the Harps centre back pairing only to see his shot go inches wide of the post. The home side continued their ascendancy after the change of ends and the telling breakthrough came after 58 minutes when the Divison's top scorer, Philip Hughes, was on hand to fire his side in front. A log ball out of the backline from Robert McAuley made its way to Hughes, who in turn played a neat one two with Peter Hynes before firing a low right-footed shot beyond James Gallagher. Harps were back on level terms eleven minutes later when Stephen O'Donnell struck a perfectly-placed effort from the corner of through a defender's legs and in past Chris Bennion to send the small band of Harps supporters wild with delight. The home side pressed hard for a winner and had Harps on the back foot for a period at the conclusion of the fixture, but their efforts were in vain as Harps held out to claim a precious point which they will hope can spur them on to going on a run of positive results. Next on the list is a trip to Athlone Town next Friday night. Dundalk: Chris Bennion; John Flanagan, David Hoey, Chris Doran, Robert McAuley; Robbie Dunne, Paul Marney, Sean Finn, Keith Dunne; Peter Hynes, Philip Hughes. Subs: Colm Kearns (for Doran, 66mins); Trevor Vaughan (for Hynes, 74mins); Ray Scully (for Finn, 85mins).
Referee: Conor Fitzgerald
Finn Harps Dot Com Man-of-the-Match : Undoubtedly the man-of-the-match tonight was Dundalk's lively front man Philip Hughes who caused the Harps rearguard no end of problems and indeed fired his side in front on 58minutes. For the visitors, young Shane O'Connor put in another composed display, but the best player on the park for Harps tonight was goalscorer Stephen O'Donnell, whose industrious effort saw him pose the deadliest threat from the men in yellow.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
