Finn Harps v Wexford Youths – Finn Park, Friday 13 th April 2007 – kick-off 8.00pm

Preview by Joe Doherty

Finn Harps will be hoping to pick up just their second league victory of the season when Paul Hegarty's side host Wexford Youths at Finn Park on Friday the 13 th . Harps have stuttered to just five points in their opening five fixtures this season and Hegarty's side already find themselves eight points behind the leaders Dundalk. Hegarty will have the same squad to choose from as he had in Limerick last weekend, with Michael Funston again likely to miss out due to injury.

The Harps boss is rueing the fact that his side didn't pick up the full points on offer against Paul McGee's Limerick 37 at Jackman Park last weekend – despite controlling the first-half and going into the break with a well deserved lead. “ I think that the game last week should have been over at half time,” commented Hegarty. “We had a stonewall penalty that wasn't given and we missed a few good chances to get ourselves out of sight. But, we conceded a terrible goal, and all in all I thought we had a lot of positive performances and particularly the defence. We looked solid defensively throughout the match and James Gallagher in goal didn't have too much to do.”

Hegarty says that it is frustrating that his side aren't putting teams to the sword – especially when on top in games. “ It is frustrating that we have only taken two points from our last two matches when we should have won them both. But, if you start to panic it does nobody any good. We should have won the match with Monaghan two weeks ago and we should have won last week in Limerick, but we have a lot of players playing really well so it's just a wee bit frustrating for us all.”

Harps should have a full squad with the exception of Funston to choose from for the visit of Mick Wallace's Wexford Youths. However, Hegarty is unlikely to make too many, if any, unforced changes to the line-up as his team begins to have a more settled look about it. The back five has come in for praise from the manager in the past week for their performances so far this season, while Hegarty is also more than happy with the central midfield pairing of Tony Shields and John O'Loughlin. Shaun Holmes will again be a starter on the left side while Barry Curran seems to have won over the right-sided midfield role from Chris Breen. Conor Gethins will be looking to add to his three goals so far this season and he will be partnered in attack by Stephen Parkhouse, who hasn't scored since the opening day defeat in Dundalk.

Wexford Youths go into this game one place and one point ahead of Harps on the league table. They have tasted defeat on only one occasion so far this season – that coming against Athlone Town is Lissywollen. Like Harps, they have drawn their last two games and were unlucky not to have picked up all three points against Kildare County last weekend as they conceded an injury time penalty in the 2-2 draw. Their Manager, Mick Wallace (who the Finn Park attendance won't fail to notice on Friday night) says that his club is unlike any other in the League of Ireland. “We're a club that is built on core principles such as honesty, determination and commitment”, Wallace declared. “What we're trying to do here is build a club that is central to the community – a club of the people, for the people. Almost every parish in the county has a player in the squad and Wexford probably has the best supporters of sport in the country. Hopefully they will believe in what we are doing and support us. It's going to be difficult at the start, we could struggle in a lot of games, but we're a young squad and Rome wasn't built in a day.”

Form guide this season:

Harps D-D-L-W-L (5pts). Wexford Youths D-D-L-W-D (6pts).

Friday's game kick-offs at 8.00pm.