Finn Harps 2 - 0 Longford Town

• Alan Foley
• Fri, May 14 2010


James Gallagher returned between the posts for Finn Harps as his side got back to winning ways with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Longford Town on Friday night.

The Harps manager opted to put the gloves back on for the first time in 18 months since retiring at the age of 29 with a recurrent knee cartilage injury. He would have been reasonably content with the Ballybofey clubs’ first win in six games.

Kevin McHugh scored the games opening goal on 22 minutes on a night when the hosts looked balanced and composed, which was a stark contrast to the poor fare served seven nights’ beforehand when Mervue United took the points down the N17.

Then on 80 minutes the former Derry City forward clipped the underside of the crossbar and the rebound went in off Longford net minder Stephen Conlon to settle the nerves.

Harps who lost by three goals to two at Flancare Park on the opening day of the season were dominant throughout against a Longford team that barely tested the stand-in goalkeeper.

Dave Freeman had an attempt well saved by the net minder in the first half with a shot through the crowd and Peter Hynes had a penalty appeal after the break when he went down close to Packie Mailey.

It was a case of third time lucky for Harps frontman McHugh, who was denied by Conlon twice in the two minutes that preceded the goal. However, the goalkeeper should really have done much better with the opener as McHugh’s header was straight at him. Michael Funston, who raced onto James Doherty’s ball down the line deserves great credit for creating the angle and whipping in a pinpoint cross.

On 26 minutes Jonathan Minnock, who lined up in his more familiar role of left-back, fizzed a shot from the angle of the penalty area right across goal but found no takers as the ball flew just wide of the far post.

In the second half the home side came within a whisker of adding a second when Stephen McLaughlin hit the post from eight yards. Minutes later Gary Whoriskey took the ball down in the box but his shot bounced wide of the far post amid appeals for a corner that fell on deaf ears.

Harps were dominating but needed an insurance goal, and although the side managed by Tony Cousins were seldom an attacking force, a one goal advantage is always a precarious one.

However with ten minutes left the issue was finally put to bed through a Conlon own goal. Whoriskey's free was met by McHugh, who glanced the ball onto the crossbar but then rebounded in off the unfortunate goalkeeper.

Whoriskey had the chance to add the third a minute later, when he was hooked into space by an inventive ball from substitute Davitt Walsh. However, his shot was lampooned into the side-netting at the near post.

Finn Harps: James Gallagher; James Doherty, Packie Mailey, Matthew Crossan Jonathan Minnock; Mark Forker (Oisin McMenamin 72), Michael Funston, Tommy Bonner, Gary Whoriskey; Kevin McHugh, Stephen McLaughlin (Davitt Walsh 70).

Longford Town: Stephen Conlon; Noel O’Reilly, Simon Kelly (Chris Deans 32), Philip Byrne, Gary Cronin; Cathal Brady, John Lester, Dave Freeman (Mark Sammon 68), Ryan McEvoy (Mike Lee 68); Derek Glynn, Peter Hynes.

Referee: Derek Tomney.