Parkhouse hoping Sligo brace is the kick-start

7 May, 2007

By Chris McNulty

By his own admission, Stephen Parkhouse's Finn Harps career hasn't got off to the start that had been expected, but the big Derryman hopes that his brace of goals against Sligo Rovers in the League Cup will give him the confidence to start turning in top drawer performances.

Sent on as a second half substitute for Seamus Brown - who had been keeping him out of the side in recent weeks - Parkhouse grabbed two goals late on to send Harps through to the quarter finals for the second year in succession.

Speaking in the aftermath of the win, the former Limavady United, Glentoran, Institute and Derry City conscript said that he was delighted to get on the scoresheet with the match-winning goals.

“To get the equaliser and score the winner myself was great because I haven't had a great time on the field since I came here.

“I have really enjoyed it, but I took a bit of stick from the fans but you expect that when you come with a wee bit of a reputation. People will expect so much of you,” commented Parkhouse, who said that he wants to go on from here and get his place back in the starting line-up.

“I do have good belief in myself and, more so, Paul has good belief in me so I'll keep digging in and hopefully it'll come good,” he said.

“I wasn't pleased with my own performances and I thought Seamus was doing really well and I think himself and Chrissy deserved a go. When you come on, you always try to make an impression and that's all I've tried to do,” added Parkhouse.

Stephen said that he is over the moon with Harps' two recent wins over Kilkenny City and Sligo Rovers, but the task becomes a little more arduous when league leaders Dundalk visit Ballybofey on Friday night next.

“You couldn't ask for anything more,” he said of the recent triumphs, before adding that the focus of attention now lies squarly with the meeting with John Gill's side on Friday night.

“Obviously getting the great win on Friday night set us up for tonight's game and tonight's game sets us up for Friday and that's the only way you can look at it,” he noted.

On a concluding note, Stephen echoed the pleas of Harps Chairman John Campbell when he said that the fans' patience would be welcomed and he feels that the side will improve in the coming weeks.

“I seen a message in the papers from the Chairman saying to the fans to keep patient and I think it's a fair point. But, with the squad we have here, we all expected to be doing better and we have belief that will do,” he said.