A solid and disciplined performance saw Finn Harps Reserves pull off a deserved 4-1 win at ten-man Letterkenny Rovers on a windy afternoon at Leckview Park on Sunday.
Letterkenny Rovers 1 Finn Harps Reserves 4
Rovers cause wasn’t helped by the 23rd minute sending off of defender Conor Tourish by match referee Michael Connolly for what was deemed by him a last man challenge on Corey McBride.
It was a fully merited win for a talented Harps side who impressed throughout and were watched by the onlooking Harps assistant boss Paul Hegarty.
Rovers defeated Harps comfortably in the league earlier in the season and it looked like this game may go the same way as it was Rovers who took an 8th minute lead.
A neat move involving Ryan McConnell, Kevin McGrath and Jonny Bonner saw Bonner find McGrath and his left footed finish was despatched well past Harps netminder Joe Boyle.
Harps though had numerous chances to level with Jamie Browne shooting just wide of debutante keeper Blake Forkan’s goal on 11 minutes while lively striker and former Rovers man Gabby Aduaka was a constant thorn throughout for the Rovers backline.
Aduaka did level on 20 minutes when he got on the end of Corey McBride’s cross to take a delicate touch before firing past Forkan giving him no chance.
That equaliser shook Rovers and they were reeling just minutes later when Tourish saw red for a foul on the impressive McBride and it was always going to be a difficult task for the home side from then on in.
Forkan had to be at his best to deny McBride before Lee Toland cleared a goal-bound effort off the line before Harps did go in front on 33 minutes when Jamie Browne rose unchallenged at the back post to head home Stephen Doherty’s cross after a quickly taken corner kick routine.
Harps were unlucky not to add to their lead as Forkan pulled off super stops to deny a free from Joel Bradley Walsh and a Browne effort just before half time.
Rovers to their credit started the second half the brighter and had a great chance to restore parity on 48 minutes but goalkeeper Boyle did well to smother Darren McElwaine’s effort after he was teed up by Bonner.
Browne should have scored on 56 but somehow fluffed his lines when well-placed while Rovers could have drawn level on the hour mark as Christy Connaghan just failed to get on the end of a Lee Toland free kick while Declan Sharkey also had a couple of half chances without overly troubling Boyle in the visitors goal.
Rovers tried hard with ten men but it was growing into an uphill task by the minute and they left themselves wide open to the counter attacks of a fit Harps unit and had chances through sub Ronan Gallagher, Pat Loughrey and Aduaka to increase their lead while another sub Tom Mullan should have scored on 76 but missed from close range.
The game was still in the melting pot approaching the final ten minutes with Rovers’ best chance of an equaliser being spurned as Connaghan’s header, from another Toland free kick, went just wide from close range on 81 minutes.
It was Harps who put the game to bed when Stephen Doherty capped a fine display when firing home after being teed up by Gallagher.on 83 minutes before Tom Mullan finished another breakaway attack on 88 minutes to make it 4-1.
The only blot on Harps afternoon came on 89 minutes when Niall McGinley saw red for a second caution but with the new Airtricity season on the horizon things looking good for the Ballybofey.
Rovers must regroup after a difficult fortnight as they head to Dublin kingpins Crumlin in the last 16 of the Intermediate Cup next weekend.
Letterkenny Rovers: Blake Forkan, Ciaran Kelly, Lee Toland, Ryan McConnell, Conor Tourish, Kevin McGrath, Luke Nelis,Chris Malseed, Darren McElwaine, Christy Connaghan, Jonny Bonner. Subs: Declan Sharkey for McElwaine, Ryan Lonergan for Bonner, Conor Duggan for Nelis.
Finn Harps Reserves: Joe Boyle, Michael Gallagher, Pat Loughrey, Keelin McGill, Joel Bradley Walsh, Jack Doherty, Corey McBride, Stephen Doherty, Gabriel Aduaka, Niall McGinley, Jamie Browne. Subs: Ronan Gallagher for Michael Gallagher, Darren McElwaine for Browne, Tom Mullan for Aduaka, Zach Gorman for McBride.
Referee: Michael Connolly.
