Waterford FC handed Harps another heavy defeat in a one-sided affair in Ballybofey.
Having beaten Harps 7-1 at the Waterford RSC in March, they scored four more tonight to hand Harps a fourth defeat on the bounce.
Finn Harps …0 Waterford FC…4
It was a difficult night for Dave Rogers’ side who played much of the second half with 10 men after Daithi McCallion was sent off for a second yellow card.
By Charlie Collins with picture by Joe Boland
At that stage Harps trailed 2-0 and when Dean McManemy cracked home a third on 63, Waterford were on their way.
They hit a fourth on 73 minutes when Ronan Coughlan scored from the penalty spot.
Harps showed one change from the team beaten by Bray Wanderers last week – Michael Harris coming in to replace Filip Da Silva who dropped to the bench.
Waterford, 5-0 winners over Cobh Ramblers last time out, were unchanged and on a perfect night for football, they started the game on the front foot.
Ronan Coughlan had an early chance, just failing to connect with a lovely delivery from the right from Roland Idowu.
Then Barry Crowe Baggley saw a wonderful strike crash off the underside of the crossbar before the ball bounced away to safety.
Their early pressure eventually paid dividends 26 minutes in when they took the lead.
Coughlan got on the end of another great delivery from the right and while Tim-Oliver Hiemer produced a brilliant reaction stop, the ball ran kindly for Connor Parsons who turned it home from close range.
Four minutes later it was 2-0. Coughlan received a ball to his feet on the edge of the box and without any meaningful defensive challenge he was able to work enough room to fire low past Hiemer.
The Harps keeper was called into action again soon after, denying Shane Griffin’s goalbound shot with another fantastic stop and Shane McMonagle got back to clear the dropping ball off the line as Parsons threatened to pounce again.
It was a half that was totally dominated by the visitors who moved the ball with pace and confidence and deserved to be further in front at the break.
And once Harps went down to 10 men on 56 when McCallion was red-carded, it was a case of damage limitations.
Finn Harps: Tim-Oliver Hiemer, Caoimhinn Porter, Shane McMonagle, Daithi McCallion, Keith Cowan, Noe Baba, Ryan Flood, Katlego Mashigo, Seamus Keigh, Sean O’Donnell, Michael Harris.
Subs: Filip Da Silva for Harris (half time), Kevin Jordan for Mashigo (60), Damian Duffy for Porter (7
