Finn Harps 0
Shamrock Rovers 1
Alan Foley reports from Finn Park.
MICHAEL O’CONNOR’S GLANCING header was enough to give the Shamrock Rovers a narrow win at Finn Harps in a suspension-hit fixture in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division in Ballybofey tonight.
Both managers both required their thinking caps with four suspensions apiece. The home side had to plan without Damien McNulty, Danny Morrissey, Caolan McAleer and Ethan Boyle, while Rovers were missing Graham Burke, David Webster, David McAllister and Trevor Clarke.
On a warm summer’s evening, it was the impressive Simon Madden who crossed for the only goal of the contest, scored by O’Connor against a Harps team that included his brother Ciaran.
Madden had the only half-chance of the first quarter hour, although he couldn’t get enough over an angled shot following a cross from Ryan Connolly and the ball flew harmlessly away at the River End.
Packie Mailey, the Harps centre-half, passed up on a free header on 17 minutes from eight yards when Ciaran Coll crossed and Tomer Chencinski in the Rovers goal gathered simply.
Despite neither goalkeeper being seriously called into action it was a reasonably open contest with Harps switching between a 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 when either out or in possession.
And whilst looking occasionally lopsided, it was guessed that formation was derived by Ollie Horgan, the Harps manager, to combat the roaming runs of right-back Madden.
Four minutes before half-time, Ciaran Gallagher looked beaten as Miele’s shot had the Harps goalkeeper spreading himself only for the ball to deflect wide.
On 43 minutes, though, Stephen Bradley’s Rovers did force their way in front thanks to O’Connor’s neat header and it was a lead they took into the break.
Rovers should really have doubled their advantage just after the interval, when Danny Devine stooped to head over from close in as a Connolly free from the right was allowed to bounce.
Jonny Bonner almost fashioned a leveller for Harps from Barry Molloy’s squared ball on 57 minites but Luke Byrne, sliding and certainly unconventional amid optimistic squeals for handball, blocked well.
Horgan throw former Sligo Rovers frontman, Haitian Pascal Millien on in place of Ciaran O’Connor for the final 16 minutes in an attempt to restore parity.
However, it was a Rovers sub, Sam Bone, who almost made an immediate impact with a fizzing shot that skimmed the Harps crossbar.
In injury time, Harps midfielder Bonner had a pop from the centre-circle that flew over an unconcerned Chencinski’s crossbar and with it went the Donegal team’s chance of a point.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Ciaran Coll, Packie Mailey, Kilian Cantwell, Gareth Harkin; Paddy McCourt (BJ Banda 82), Barry Molloy, Sean Houston, Jonny Bonner; Ciaran O’Connor (Pascal Millien 74), Eddie Dsane.
Shamrock Rovers: Tomer Chencinski; Simon Madden, Roberto Lopes, Danny Devine, Luke Byrne; Darren Meenan, Ronan Finn, Ryan Connolly, Brandon Miele; Michael O’Connor (Same Bone 77), Gary Shaw.
Referee: Robert Harvey.
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