A SCORELESS draw against Cork City tonight moved Finn Harps four points clear of UCD in the battle for Premier Division survival.
Finn Harps 0 Cork City 0
By Chris McNulty at Finn Park. Pictures by Joe Boland
This result, coupled with Sligo Rovers’ 5-1 win over UCD – including a goal from Ballybofey’s Johnny Dunleavy – means head for Belfield to face the Students on Friday night with a four-point buffer.
Harps might have won this one ten minutes from the end, but Mark Timlin – a half-time replacement for Harry Ascroft – curled a delicious effort narrowly wide of the far post after stepping into position on the edge of the area.
Ascroft came in for only his second start since his pre-season signing. The injury-troubled Australian has been blighted since his arrival in Ballybofey, but was included from the off here. Ascroft was penciled into the notepad of referee John McLoughlin for a rash challenge on Gary Boylan in the 19th minute.
Ascroft’s evening ended prematurely as he was replaced by Timlin at the interval.
Niall Logue was also elevated to the starting XI, with Raffaele Cretaro and Keith Cowan making way from the team that defeated Sligo Rovers 2-0 on Friday night – a win that hoisted Harps off the foot of the table.
Cork suffered a heavy 4-1 beating at the hands of Derry City on Friday and the Rebels showed four changes. Colm Horgan, Gary Boylan, Darragh Rainsford and Ronan Hurley all began as the Rebels sought an instant response.
They might have hit the front a quarter-of-an-hour in when Gearoid Morrissey’s shot, after a Rainsford pass, careered off Daniel O’Reilly and out for a corner.
Cork went close after the half-hour mark, with Boylan riffling over the top after Harps failed to clear a Conor McCormack free kick.
When Buckley went down under a trailing leg of Mark Russell late in the first half, hearts were in the mouths, but the referee waved away Cork’s appeals for a penalty.
Harps survived in added time when Mark Coyle was caught out as he broke away from the penalty area and finally Harps cleared their lines as a Boylan cross caused panic.
Morrissey, who scored a pair of crackers in March when Cork held sway by the odd goal in seven, tried his luck from distance early in the second half, but he was unable to keep it on target.
Harps fashioned a big opening nine minutes after the re-start, but Caolan McAleer’s shot flashed just wide of Mark McNulty’s left-hand post, while Rainsford fired over when Harps dithered on the hour.
Conor McCarthy almost caught Mark Anthony McGinley, the Harps goalkeeper, out with an audacious long-range attempt, but his shot, taken from inside his own half, dropped over the crossbar.
It was a game of few clear-cut chances, but every point is precious for Ollie Horgan’s men and this represents a significant marker ahead of Friday’s trip to the capital.
Finn Harps: Mark Anthony McGinley; Sam Todd, Niall Logue, Harry Ascroft (Mark Timlin half-time); Daniel O’Reilly, Jacob Borg, Mark Coyle, Gareth Harkin, Mark Russell; Caolan McAleer (Mikey Place 85); Nathan Boyle.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Conor McCarthy, Dan Casey, Sean McLoughlin; Colm Horgan, Conor McCormack, Gary Boylan (Gary Comerford 67), Gearoid Morrissey, Ronan Hurley; Garry Buckley, Darragh Rainsford (Karl Sheppard 84).
Referee: John McLoughlin.
