Finn Harps treated their fans to a five star display at Finn Park as they picked up their first win of the 2025 campaign.
Finn Harps …5. Bray Wanderers …0
By Stuart Connolly at Finn Park with pics by Joe Boland.
Darren Murphy’s side controlled proceedings from the word go as Max Hutchison scored the first of three goals in the first half.
Gavin Hodgins netted goal number two and Michael Place scored a beauty as Bray Wanderers were reduced to ten men with Calum Costello given his marching orders.
Dara McGuinness bagged the fourth of the night, and the icing was put on the cake when captain Tony McNamee made it five.
David Cawley’s name on the team-sheet was the only alteration after last week’s defeat as Republic Of Ireland Under-17 duty called for Gavin McAteer in Poland.
After a very fast start from the hosts that included the crossbar being struck twice, Harps got their reward with four minutes gone.
Gavin Hodgins was the first to hit the woodwork, while a follow-up effort from Tony McNamee was deflected wide.
From the corner that followed, Conor Tourish headed one off the bar before Max Hutchison was alert to bundle the ball over the line, despite the best efforts of James Corcoran.
Corcoran was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers as David Aziaya was merely a spectator throughout the first half.
The Bray Wanderers shot-stopper was called upon to thwart a low effort from Patrick Ferry, while he also expertly parried away a header from Dara McGuinness at point blank range.
A few minutes prior to the half, Harps’ pressure got its second reward of the night as Hodgins raced into the box to calmly head home a pinpoint cross from Cawley.
Harps’ blistering display went from strength to strength and it almost resulted in a third goal with 30 minutes gone, but Corcoran pulled off a terrific reflex save to deny Hutchison.
The visitors’ evening was already shaping up to be a long one, and it was made worse when Calum Costello was shown a red card after two rash challenges on Michael Place.
Place was lively down the right side, and he bagged a deserved goal prior to the interval. A half cleared set piece dropped perfectly and Place caught it sweetly on the half volley and watched it nestle in the bottom left corner.
Those who fetched a halftime brew may not have been back to their seat in time as Harps netted a fourth goal just 30 seconds into the second half, with Place playing McGuinness through before a calm finish after going around Corcoran.
With an hour gone, Harps continued to control matters and a fifth goal was added to the tally with relative ease. Hodgins crossed the ball in low and McNamee was able to pass the ball in unmarked from six yards out.
After that fifth goal, the game petered out. Harps introduced a raft of substitutes, while Bray’s only clear sight of goal was flashed wide by Danu Kinsella Bishop.
Finn Harps almost made it six in stoppage time, but the post denied Josh Cullen.
Finn Harps: David Aziaya; Michael Place, Conor Tourish(Adam McDaid 71), Max Hutchison, Kevin Jordan(Joel Bradley-Walsh 60); Joel Thompson(Anto Dodd 60), David Cawley, Tony McNamee(Josh Cullen 71), Patrick Ferry(Gradi Lomboto 60), Gavin Hodgins; Dara McGuinness.
Bray Wanderers: James Corcoran; Max Murphy, Killian Cantwell, Paul Murphy, Jamie Duggan(Harvey Warren 77); Jordan Tallon(Jamie Ryan 77) , Cian Doyle(Rhys Knight 58), Cian Curtis(Conor Knight 38), Calum Costello, Guillermo Almirall(Rhys Bartley 58); Danu Kinsella Bishop.
Referee: Glen Geraghty
