It’s a battle of the bottom two at St. Colmans Park on Saturday evening as Finn Harps make the six hundred mile round trip to take on Cobh Ramblers (kick-off 7.45pm).
Cobh have yet to record a victory this season, picking up two draws in their opening nine games. However, Harps go into the game on a winless streak that has seen them pick up just two points in their last six league games.
Last weekend both sides suffered home 1-0 defeats, while in midweek both clubs dropped out of the EA Sports League Cup – again after 1-0 defeats.
Harps last six games in all competitions has seen them fail to score in five of those games and this is something that Ollie Horgan is well aware needs to change before his side can think about returning to winning ways.
“We need to score to win on Saturday,” said Horgan as he simply put the task at hand. “Cobh are very difficult to beat in Cork as Waterford and Shamrock Rovers found out. Wexford ran their luck there last week before scraping through on a 1-0 scoreline.”
Looking back at last weekend’s game against Shamrock Rovers in the League and Galway in the EA Sports League Cup, Horgan felt his side deserved more than the 1-0 defeats they got in both outings.
“Obviously we were disappointed with the result and indeed some of the performance last Friday night. I don’t think Shamrock Rovers had a shot on target, including the goal, so it was hard to stomach but we ourselves didn’t create enough at other end.
“It was a much better performance in Galway where both ourselves and Galway made several changes from our weekend teams. We created a lot more chances, had a goal disallowed but still didn’t score,” he continued.
Horgan has admitted that the recent run of results is something that is causing a little concern, but he is not pressing any panic buttons just yet.
“I’d be disappointed more than worried about the recent run of poor results,” he said.
“We have been a little unlucky at times here and there but lack of goals is costing us. Kevin McHugh is still out while Ruairi Keating joining him on injury list probably hasn’t helped.
“However, there were lots of positives out of the Galway game with a number of players making claims for a start in Cobh. Defensively against Shamrock Rovers we very comfortable limiting chances to a minimum, but at same time creating few at other end.”
Another problem that Horgan has had to contend with recently is a spate of sending-offs that has seen him playing out games with just ten players on the pitch and then those players missing several games through suspension. The latest was Packie Mailey last weekend against Rovers.
“A few moments of silly madness has cost us some of the recent red cards but nothing too much in any of them,” said Horgan. “We could obviously do without the sendings-off and subsequent suspensions but in all three sendings-off nobody was in any way injured as a result and we’re able to resume playing immediately.”
Keith Cowan returns after a four match suspension, but Packie Mailey misses out after his red card against Rovers last Saturday. Kevin McHugh, who has only played one game this season, remains sidelined while strike partner Ruairi Keating is a doubt.
The earlier season meeting between the two sides at Finn Park ended in a 5-0 victory for Harps. The teams met at Saturday’s venue St. Colmans Park three times last season with the honours being shared – one game finished in a draw, while their was one victory apiece.
