Finn Harps
With no game last weekend due a waterlogged Finn Park, it will be a well rested Finn Harps side who travel to Galway United on Friday hoping to build on their decent start of Premier Division life.
However, Galway have also made a fine start of the season and go into the game with ten points from their opening six games and it makes for an interesting battle between two sides who last met in league action in the First Division two years ago.
As usual though, Harps boss Ollie Horgan is urging caution and is quick to point out Harps’ poor record against Friday’s opponents.
“We have played Galway six times since they came back into league and still haven’t beaten them,” he said. “They have improved again since then so we will have a very difficult game ahead of us.
Galway are undefeated in their last seventeen games against Harps in all competitions, although Harps did beat the Tribesmen via penalty shoot-outs in the League Cup in 2006 and the FAI Cup the following year.
Harps’ last victory over Galway outside of that came twelve years ago when they won 5-1 at Terryland Park on their way to winning the First Division title – Chris Breen, Shane Bradley, Michael Funston and a double from Kevin McHugh being the Harps scorers that night.
The club’s last meeting was in the League Cup at the start of last season, with Galway running out winners by the odd goal in five.
Harps had a weekend off last time out as their game with St. Patrick’s Athletic was called off on the morning of the game due to a waterlogged pitch at Finn Park. While it gave Harps time to recover after a hectic start to the season, Ollie Horgan would rather the game had went ahead.
“Everyone was disappointed that game couldn’t go ahead but there is no point worrying about something that is out of our hands, he said.
Harps now face into another hectic schedule of fixtures, with Friday’s game being the first of four games in the space of ten days.
“We don’t know how all the games will effect things until we go through them,” said Horgan. It certainly will be very difficult for any team – in particular a part time team – but we will see what happens over the coming couple of weeks.”
Friday’s meeting will be the first of two meetings at Eamon Deacy Park between the sides during the ten day schedule – the two meet again on Monday week in the EA Sports League Cup 2nd Round.
A lot of the build-up to last Friday’s game centred around Michael Funston who was hoping to make his 300th appearance for the club if he featured against St. Pat’s. The Letterkenny man will now wait and see if he is involved in Galway to reach the milestone.
TEAM NEWS
Suspended: None.
Doubtful: Ciaran Coll, Ryan Curran.
Injured: Barry Molloy (knee), Sean Houston (hamstring), Josh Mailey.
RECORD AGAINST GALWAY (All Competitions)
Friday’s game will be the 65th meeting of the two clubs, and the 35th to be played at Finn Park. This includes meetings with Galway United, Galway FC and Galway Rovers.
Total Games: 64 (34 in Galway)
Harps Wins: 20 (8 in Galway)
Galway Wins: 25 (14 in Galway)
Draws: 19 (12 in Galway)
Harps Goals: 98 (53 in Galway)
Galway Goals: 114 (68 in Galway)
LAST 10 GAMES v GALWAY
09-May-08 Galway United 2-2 Finn Harps (Premier Division)
01-Aug-08 Finn Harps 0-2 Galway United (Premier Division)
07-Nov-08 Galway United 3-0 Finn Harps (Premier Division)
13-Jun-09 Finn Harps 0-3 Galway United (FAI Cup)
29-Mar-14 Finn Harps 1-1 Galway FC (First Division)
05-May-14 Galway FC 1-0 Finn Harps (League Cup)
16-May-14 Galway FC 1-1 Finn Harps (First Division)
18-Jul-14 Finn Harps 0-0 Galway FC (First Division)
20-Sep-14 Galway FC 3-0 Finn Harps (First Division)
09-Mar-15 Galway United 3-2 Finn Harps (League Cup)
