Finn Harps 1 - 0 Waterford United

• Aidan O'Donnell
• Sat, Jun 11 2011


A typically clinical strike from Kevin McHugh allowed Finn Harps to collect just their second win of the season against a slack Waterford United side at Finn Park tonight.

Still coming to terms with the harsh injustice of Monday’s cup exit at the hands of Longford Town, Harps bounced back with one of their best, if not sharpest, performance’s of the campaign.

The home side raced out of the blocks and dominated proceedings against a side who have endured similar misfortune to that of the Ballybofey club this season.

Harps, while not exactly overflowing with confidence, restricted Waterford to not a single shot on target in the first half, while the United back-line had to be on their toes to contend with a feisty Harps attack.

The visitors eventually came to life in the last quarter of an hour and but for a bit of luck they might have come away with a share of the spoils, as Seamus Long fired over the ‘bar from four yards out, before the full-back was then denied by a quite exquisite spread-eagled save from Ciaran Gallagher right at the death.

Harps showed two changes to the side that exited the cup on Monday night, with Kevin McHugh returning from suspension while Blaine Curtis came into partner him in what was the youngster’s first competitive start for the Donegal side.

And what an impact he made alongside the experienced attacker, linking up superbly as if they had been playing together for years. McHugh’s guile and finesse coupled with the sheer energy and enthusiasm of Curtis made life hell for the Waterford back-four, who were caught napping on a couple of occasions.

Curtis nipped in ahead of Kevin Murray on sixteen minutes before curling an ambitious effort just beyond the far upright, while Tommy Bonnar fired inches past the base of Kevin Burns’ left-hand post in a bright opening for Peter Hutton and Felix Healy’s men.

Harps, without a win since their sole triumph of the season against Athlone three weeks ago, were the side doing all the pressing, with goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher, surprisingly, a virtual spectator in the opening forty-five minutes.

The breakthrough came eleven minutes before the break when Aaron McElwee showed great awareness to pounce on a slack goal-kick from Burns – the diminutive midfielder laying off to McHugh, who drilled beyond Burns with a composed strike from the edge of the area.

The second period was a lot more subdued, with neither side really showing too much bite or invention going forward.

The south-easterner’s had a couple of half-chances go a begging through the normally lethal Willie John Kiely, who never received the ball he would have liked all night, while Seamus Long was guilty of not earning the away side at least a point after he blazed over from four yards out following a goal-line clearance from Aaron McElwee.

The Waterford full-back then found himself all alone in the box with pretty much the last kick of the game but found Gallagher in no mood to concede, as the Harps ‘keeper pulled off a Schmeichel-like save at the end.

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Paddy McLaughlin, Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan, Gareth Harkin; Mark Forker, Aaron McElwee, Tommy Bonnar, Marc Brolly; Kevin McHugh, Blaine Curtis. Subs: Garbhan Friel (Curtis, 82 mins), Ciaran Coll (Harkin, 90 mins).

Waterford United: Kevin Burns; Paul Carey, Kenny Browne, Kevin Murray, Seamus Long; Gary Keane, Gary Dunphy, David Breen, Conor Sinnott; Paul Murphy, Willie John Kiely. Subs: Shane Dempsey (Breen, 59 mins), Adam McSharry (Carey, 68 mins), Dwayne Wilson (Dunphy, 78 mins).

Referee: Darren Coombes.

Extra-time man of the match: Aaron McElwee (Finn Harps). Provider for the goal and preventer of a certain equaliser in the dying stages with a terrific goal-line block.

Attendance: 250 (Estimate).