Finn Harps begin life without Director of Football Felix Healy by hosting Waterford United at Finn Park on Friday evening (kick-off 7.45pm).
The were few who were not shocked when they heard that Healy had resigned in the aftermath of last weekend’s 3-0 defeat away to Wexford Youths, including team manager Peter Hutton.
“It was a bit of a shock to myself and the players and Felix told our chairman Joey O’Leary over the phone,” said Hutton.
“In terms of the football club, the management structure has lost its director of football but myself and Sean (McGowan) will continue. It was strange but that’s football,” he said.
“The first I knew of it was when we were walking off the pitch and Felix just turns to me and says “that’s me kid, I’m done”. It was such a surprise because there had been no inclinations at all that this was going to happen.”
Hutton’s first task will be to try to halt the recent losing streak, which has now seen Harps lose four in a row. The latest defeat came last weekend in Wexford.
“We played probably the best football we’ve played all year,” Hutton said of last week’s performance.
“The sending off for Kevin (McHugh) early on was a massive blow but the response from the rest of the boys was magnificent. They completely dominated the game but just couldn’t really find a way through.
“Although they scored and then we got Adam (Clarke) sent off in the space of a few minutes, we were still the better side. They got their last two goals when we went three at the back late on. It was disappointing to lose but I was very heartened and proud of the effort. It showed me they have a lot of character and resilience.”
Harps will have to plan this weekend’s game against Waterford without the suspended duo of McHugh and Clarke, while Keith Cowan and Stephen O’Donnell remain long term absentees.
“They’ve been a bit hit and miss but there’s no doubt they’ll be tough to beat,” said Hutton of this week’s opponents. “They have quality players with the likes of Gary Dempsey and Sean Maguire, who is reportedly attracting a lot of interest across channel.
“We just have to continue to work hard and hopefully we’ll get that bit of luck that has so far deserted us. It’s disappointing to be without Kevin and Adam, our two top scorers, but it’s a chance for someone else to step up to the plate.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TEAM NEWS
Suspended: Kevin McHugh, Adam Clarke.
Doubtful: None.
Injured: Keith Cowan (double hairline fracture ankle), Stephen O’Donnell (medial ligament).
Form Guide (last six league games)
Finn Harps: W-W-L-L-L-L (6 pts)
Waterford United: D-D-W-W-W-L (11 pts)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last six home games against Waterford United
18/06/2005 – Finn Harps 2-0 Waterford United (Premier Division)
20/11/2007 – Finn Harps 3-0 Waterford United (Promotion/Relegation Play-Off)
11/04/2009 – Finn Harps 1-3 Waterford United (First Division)
03/10/2009 – Finn Harps 1-1 Waterford United (First Division)
16/07/2010 – Finn Harps 1-1 Waterford United (First Division)
11/06/2011 – Finn Harps 1-0 Waterford United (First Division)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finn Harps Goalscorers 2012
Kevin McHugh – 5 (1 in League Cup)
Adam Clarke – 4
Blain Curtis – 2
Paul Simon Tracey – 2
Thomas McMonagle – 1
Thomas McBride – 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finn Harps Results 2012 (Harps goalscorers in brackets)
11/05/2012 – (FD) Wexford Youths 3-0 Finn Harps
05/05/2012 – (FD) Finn Harps 1-2 Athlone Town (McHugh)
27/04/2012 – (FD) Mervue United 3-0 Finn Harps
21/04/2012 – (FD) Finn Harps 1-3 Limerick (Clarke)
14/04/2012 – (FD) Longford Town 1-3 Finn Harps (Tracey, McBride, Curtis)
09/04/2012 – (LC) Derry City 4-0 Finn Harps
06/04/2012 – (FD) Finn Harps 3-0 Salthill Devon (Clarke, McHugh, Curtis)
31/03/2012 – (FD) Waterford United 0-2 Finn Harps (Tracey, Waterford o.g.)
26/03/2012 – (LC) Finn Harps 2-0 Mayo League (Mayo o.g., McHugh)
24/03/2012 – (FD) Finn Harps 0-1 Wexford Youths
16/03/2012 – (FD) Athlone Town 2-0 Finn Harps
10/03/2012 – (FD) Finn Harps 4-3 Mervue United (Clarke, McHugh 2, McMonagle)
02/03/2012 – (FD) Limerick 2-1 Finn Harps (Clarke)
Tags:
