There’ll be tougher tests ahead.
But a five goal blitz against Skerries Town in the second round of the FAI Cup could do Finn Harps players a world of confidence.
On a miserable night at Finn Park when Storm Betty did her best to spoil the occasion, Dave Rogers’ side forgot about the weather and knuckled down to the task in hand.
And while their league form maybe somewhat stop-start, Harps can now look forward to a cup quarter final albeit most likely against a lot stiffer opponents.
If there were any possibility of a cup banana skin courtesy of the Leinster Senior League outfit, Max Hutchison settled the home nerves when he netted after just two minutes.
And when the almost always-impressive Ryan Flood added a second after fifteen minutes, you sensed a possible glut of goals was coming.
Flood’s goal, his tenth of the season, came from a 25 yard free kick after Hutchison was fouled.
Stephen Doherty perhaps should have added to the opening half Harps tally but missed both chances.
But ten minutes into the restart Harps had pulled the rug from beneath Skerries as they rattled the back of the north Dublin side’s net twice more.
Patrick Ferry netted Harps third just seconds into the restart and his replacement Sean O’Donnell grabbed Harps fourth in the 52nd minute when he broke free and slotted home past Liam Woodcock in the visiter’s net.
The American Flood made it 5-0 as he netted again in the 59th minute but that was to be the end of Harps goal tally.
Dave Rogers will welcome the goals and the distraction from the league but knows that bigger fish are lurking both in the league and cup.
Harps: Kelly, Wara, McCallion, Makinson (O’Kane 65), Doherty (Ellis Farrar 59), Rainey, Flood (McLaughlin 59), Hutchison, McNamee (Porter 65), Banda, Ferry (O’Donnell 52).
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