As opening pre-season fixtures can go, this was a pretty useful and encouraging night for Finn Harps at Maginn Park.
Inishowen League 1 Finn Harps 2
By Chris McNulty, Donegal Sport Hub, at Maginn Park
Goals by new signings Ciaran O’Connor and Danny Morrissey earned Harps come-from-behind win after Matthew Henry fired Inishowen League in front.
The performance of O’Connor and Morrissey, both of whom were withdrawn at half-time, was perhaps the brightest point from a Harps perspective on a cool, biting night at what will be Derry City’s home for 2017.
All the goals arrived in the first half, with O’Connor’s penalty and Morrissey’s strike securing a win for the boys in blue.
Harps included in their number new signings Killian Cantwell, Caolan McAleer, Morrissey and O’Connor, while trialist Thomas Amegnaglo started in the engine room.
Amegnaglo, a 25-year-old from Togo, played with Banbury United in England and had a trial at Derry City a couple of weeks ago.
Inishowen were without Terence Doherty and Anthony Doherty from their ranks, but Diarmuid O’Brien’s men took the lead when Matthew Henry bent a fine effort past Ciaran Gallagher after Nigel McMonagle’s pass inside invited an attempt.
Harps drew level on the half-hour. O’Connor went to ground under the slightest of nudges by Matthew Byrne and the Dundalk native stepped up to neatly roll the penalty into the bottom corner of Darragh McLaughlin’s goal.
In between times, Harps – who had a planned pre-season game against Athlone postponed on Saturday – threatened a couple of times.
O’Connor, on this showing anyway, looks like he could well become a worthy wearer of the number 10 shirt vacated by the now-retired Kevin McHugh.
He and Morrissey linked up well in attack and O’Connor stabbed against the crossbar after a deft touch-on by Morrissey.
Only a timely intervention by John Gerard McLaughlin denied Morrissey a shot on goal, again after O’Connor had worked the opening.
Just before O’Connor netted from the spot, he was the architect of a chance for Caolan McAleer that the Tyrone man should have converted. He shot past McLaughlin, but wide of the far post.
Harps were in front when Morrissey profited from a loose backpass by Shane Canning and tucked home.
Aiden Friel curled wide for Inishowen early in the second half before another Harps trialist – Aizi Nahanod – went close, denied by Kevin McLaughlin, who had just entered the fray for the hosts.
McAleer could have extended the Harps lead, but toe-poked wide after latching onto a long ball by Ethan Boyle.
Amid the customary plethora of replacements, Inishowen’s Ryan Doherty flicked a header over the top and Brendan McLaughlin clipped a free-kick against a stanchion.
Inishowen League: Darragh McLaughlin; Michael Byrne, DJ Canavan, John Gerard McLaughlin, Matthew Byrne; Aiden Friel, Shane Canning, Matthew Henry, Nigel McMonagle; Brendan McLaughlin, Michael Barr. Subs: Gavin Doherty for Henry, Kevin McLaughlin for D.McLaughlin (both 52), William McLaughlin for Michael Byrne, Ryan Doherty for Friel, Jamie McCormick for Canavan (69).
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Killian Cantwell, Packie Mailey, Thomas McMonagle; Ethan Boyle, Michael Funston, Thomas Amegnaglo, Caolan McAleer, Ciaran Coll; Danny Morrissey, Ciaran O’Connor. Subs: Harry Doherty for Gallagher, Damien McNulty for Mailey, Dylan McCroary for Morrissey, Aizi Nahanod for O’Connor (all half-time), Gareth Doherty for Amegnaglo, Siumon McGlynn for Funston (both 66), Jamie Dunne for Coll (78).
Referee: Terence Moyne.
