Finn Harps 4 - 0 Mervue United

• Aidan O'Donnell
• Sat, Oct 30 2010


FINN Harps concluded their season on a bright note with Friday night’s comprehensive win over second from bottom side Mervue United at Finn Park – the three points helping the Donegal outfit take seven from their last three games.

Kevin McHugh, Raymond Foy and Oisin McMenamin all bagged second half goals to add to the opener Tommy Bonner had provided midway through the opening period.

The result, however, means Harps finish the season in eighth place after Wexford Youths matched the Ballybofey side’s result in beating Cork City in Ferrycarrig.

A little unsurprisingly, Harps manager James Gallagher made a few alterations to his side, handing youngsters Ciaran Gallagher, Aaron O’Hagan and Gary Merritt starting berths – the first of the season for the latter two.

Mervue, buoyed by last week’s result of the season against Monaghan, travelled to the northwest full of confidence having taken seven points from their last four games, but were without Mark Ludden and skipper Eric Browne.

The game began, typically, in a fast tempo, with both sides loosening the shackles for the last game of the season, of which there was no real mathematical significance other than the run of the mill three points.

The sides shared both the possession and best chances of a lively yet counterproductive first half, with the misty and damp conditions laying the way for a mucky sort of encounter.

Gary Merritt had first sight of goal for the home side when he was picked out delightfully by James Doherty, but after Mike Elwood lost his footing the winger failed in capitalising when his shot was directed straight at Ger Hanley.

Mervue were then gifted a superb chance to break the deadlock when Dan Cunningham’s free-kick found it’s way to Noel Varley via the head of Mike Tierney. The right-winger was afforded the ideal kind of space inside the Harps box, but dragged his shot inches past the base of the post.

Full-backs Gary Whoriskey and Dan Cunningham then went close for their respective sides, the former unable to keep his shot on target after Kevin McHugh laid off for him, while Cunningham’s humdinger from thirty yards whistled agonisingly past the top-left upright.

Harps then edged in front on thirty-three minutes when Tommy Bonner drilled home from the edge of the area after the Mervue defence failed to deal with a Stephen McLaughlin corner.

The visitors finished the half strong, however, and were really unlucky not to have gone in at the break level pegging, with Rory Gaffney having a George Best-like lob scooped off the line quite brilliantly by James Doherty, before the Mervue striker then had an effort from close range blocked by a wall of Harps players in what was virtually the last kick of the opening forty-five minutes.

The Galway side recommenced with the same sort of vigour that was on display as the first half closed, and Barry McEntee almost gave them the perfect response. After skipping past the challenge of Whoriskey, the midfielder was unlucky to see his effort tipped over from beneath the top corner by Ciaran Gallagher.

Moments later, however, Mervue found themselves two down when a slip from Martin Conneely allowed Kevin McHugh a free pop at goal, which the striker never looked like wasting, finishing with predatory instinct.

His joy quickly turned to frustration, though, when he appeared to pull his hamstring and was immediately replaced by Ciaran Coll.

Another new kid on the block, Raymond Foy, also made his introduction in the second half, replacing goal scorer Tommy Bonner, to leave quite possibly the youngest Harps team to have ever been fielded in a League of Ireland fixture.

Harps’ youth or apparent lack of experience was completely undermined in the last twenty minutes as the Donegal cubs ran riot.

Raymond Foy, busy and demanding since coming on, was perfectly placed to hammer home from eighteen yards when Oisin McMenamin floated a lovely ball back across goal from the byline. McMenamin then went from provider to goal scorer two minutes later, getting on the end of a Stephen McLaughlin cross, after the Inishowen wide man pulverised the Mervue defence with his wizardry.

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; James Doherty, Packie Mailey, Aaron O’Hagan, Gary Whoriskey; Gary Merritt, Mark Forker, Tommy Bonner, Stephen McLaughlin; Oisin McMenamin, Kevin McHugh.
Subs: Ciaran Coll (McHugh, 50 mins), Raymond Foy (Bonner, 62 mins), Michael Coyle (Merritt, 69 mins).

Mervue United: Ger Hanley; James Casserly, Martin Conneely, Mike Elwood, Dan Cunningham; Noel Varley, Barry McEntee, Kevin Crehan, Alex Lee; Rory Gaffney, Mike Tierney.
Subs: Mike Collins (Tierney, 60 mins), Dumitru Razvan Pupescu (Lee, 70 mins).

Referee: Derek Tomney