Finn Harps 5-0 Longford Town
Alan Foley reports from Finn Park, Ballybofey
FINN HARPS PRODUCED their biggest win of the season when it mattered most to ensure Premier Division football for next season in style.
Ollie Horgan’s team started the evening with a goal difference seven better than Waterford and knew if they matched the Blues’ result against St Pat’s, it would be enough to guarantee safety.
At a bouncing Finn Park, they ran in two goals in the first half and three more in the second to completely put it to bed.
Will Seymore, a Ryan Connolly rasper, Karl O’Sullivan, Tunde Owolabi and Luke Rudden goals marked the occasion, with Harps having dominated from the first whistle.
Longford, who held Waterford last Saturday, defended in resolute fashion in the first half, although looked deflated following O’Sullivan’s third. It was a miserable end to a miserable campaign and they’ll look to put their pieces together next season in the First Division.
After O’Sullivan struck the inside of the Longford post with a delightful curling effort 15 minutes in, Harps finally broke the deadlock on 28 minutes. Seymore headed home from close range as a deflected Barry McNamee shot spun into his path after Connolly and O’Sullivan had worked a short corner well.
Five minutes later, it was two-nil with Connolly scoring an absolutely brilliant half-volley from 20 yards, which rose off his foot from the moment he hit it after Longford had only half-cleared a Mark Coyle throw-in.
Four minutes into the second half, it was three when Aaron Robinson was caught in possession by Mark Coyle and O’Sullivan’s shot took an upward deflection off Aaron O’Driscoll to completely wrongfoot the luckless Steacy.
Harps’ fourth arrived on the hour mark when Connolly played a simple ball forward which was missed by two visiting defenders and Owolabi stole in to plant his shot into the bottom corner having cut in on his right foot.
The last half an hour or so was devoid of any major incident and few had any issue with that before Rudden popped up to complete the rout with a fifth.
Finn Harps: Gerard Doherty; Ethan Boyle, Dave Webster, Shane McEleney, Jordan Mustoe (Johnny Dunleavy half-time); Karl O’Sullivan, Ryan Connolly, Mark Coyle, Will Seymore (Dan Hawkins 83); Barry McNamee (Mark Timlin 77); Tunde Owolabi (Luke Rudden 89).
Longford Town: Lee Steacy; Shane Elworthy (Michael McDonnell half-time), Aaron Robinson, Joe Manley, Paddy Kirk; Aodh Dervin (Matthew O’Brien 69); Dean Williams (Aaron Dobbs 69), Darragh Nugent (Dean Zambara 55), Conor Davis (Aaron McNally 55); Rob Manley.
Referee: John McLoughlin.
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