Preview: Drogheda United vs Finn Harps

• Gareth Penrose
• Thu, May 01 2008




Drogheda United will look to maintain their winning ways after last week’s victory in Turner’s Cross when they take on Finn Harps in United Park on Friday (kick-off 7:45pm). Finn Harps go into the match without scoring a goal in 515 minutes of football and will be without some key personnel to make matters worse.

Gary Beckett, Jonathan Minnock, Stephen Parkhouse and Tony Shields will all again sit out this week's game. Shaun Williams, on-loan from the Champions, will also watch from the stands as he is ineligible. Marc Mukendi (groin), Aaron Labonte (groin), Chris Breen (ankle) are all rated as extremely doubtful while Kevin Ramsey, Shaun McGowan and Marc Brolly are all carrying slight knocks but all three could play.

"It's a tough situation, but we'll have to carry on", said Harps boss Hegarty. "People are talking about getting a goal, but right now, I'm just looking to get a team out on the pitch on Friday. The whole spine of our team has been unavailable for most of the season. Things are going against us off the pitch as well as on it, but there's no point in complaining because nobody will listen to us."

With Harps going into the game on the back of five straight defeats and with so many injury worries, Hegarty isn't expecting many miracles in Drogheda. "I had them watched in Cork last week and they put in their best performance of the season so far. If we get anything from the match it would be a bonus, but what we really need is to get a few players fit.

Despite Finn Harps poor start to the season, Drogheda manager, Paul Doolin, is taking nothing for granted, "I say it every week, there are no easy games anymore. If we don't perform, they can punish us, so we'll have to work hard. But we know we're capable of getting 3 points in any game, we're the league champions and we go out to win every game."

On the injury front, United will be without defender Brian Shelley, who suffered a hamstring injury last week versus Cork City. Doolin hopes the full-back will be back in contention soon. "We don't think it was as bad as we first feared with Brian, hopefully he won't be out for too long, but he won't be available for this game (vs Finn Harps)." Also missing are long-term injuries Shaun Maher, Dan Connor (both of whom could return to training next week) and Guy Bates who will be out of action for another 2 weeks.

Kick off is at 7:45pm in United Park on Friday.