SSE Airtricity League First Division
Finn Harps 1 Longford Town 1
By Stuart Connolly at Finn Park
Joel Bradley-Walsh scored a late stoppage time leveller and his first for the club as the ten men of Finn Harps salvaged a point against Longford Town on Friday night in Kevin McHugh’s first game at the helm.
Harps were twice denied by the woodwork during regulation time, and the visitors held the lead at the break courtesy of a free kick from Aaron Doran.
Kevin Jordan was dismissed in the second half, and during a hefty chunk of injury time, Bradley-Walsh popped up to head home, and Harps could have ended the night with all three points if not for the exploits of Harry Halwax.
That late goal extended Harps’ run to three games unbeaten.
After a slender win against Athlone Town last time out, Kevin McHugh implemented just two changes for his first game since being installed as the new Manager of Finn Harps. Gavin McAteer and Gavin Gilmore stepped into the line-up as the McHugh era began in Ballybofey, although the spectators would have to wait for a glimpse of the Killea-man in the dugout due to his suspension.
The League of Ireland’s fifth highest scorer of all time was in attendance, but settled for a bird’s-eye view from the TV gantry.
After a fairly standard start to proceedings, where neither side really threatened in the final third, Harps began to get some space, Dara McGuinness in particular, but his two shots in the span of a few minutes were both well blocked by Oisin Hand.
At the other end with a quarter of an hour gone, it was a similar tale as Conor Tourish was well positioned to deal with a strike from Aaron Doran.
Approximately ten minutes later, that same duo popped up again as the away side took the lead via a free kick. The Harps man was guilty of a trip on Doran just outside the box, and after a brief delay due to Oliver Moran getting accidentally thumped by the ball, the 21-year-old calmly arrowed his effort into the bottom right corner.
Longford Town weren’t too far away from a second goal shortly after the half hour, but thankfully for Harps, a cushioned header from Dean O’Shea rested on the roof of Aziaya’s net.
Gavin Gilmore almost caught out Harry Halwax in the minutes that followed with a searching cross, while Harps’ best chance landed prior to the interval. Kevin Jordan whipped the ball in from the left, and a terrific header from Max Hutchison looked destined for the back of the net, but clipped the post.
Finn Harps started the second half the way they ended the first; with a header off the post. This time it was Conor Tourish who was denied, and the hosts went even closer just moments later, as Eric Yoro was alert on the line to clear an effort from David Cawley.
The experienced midfielder had another chance on the hour, and this one was comfortably held by Halwax.
With 66 minutes on the clock, Harps night got a little bit tougher. Close to the dugouts, Jordan lunged and caught Osaze Irhue. Moran had no second guesses and issued the red card, and unfortunately, the Longford Town player had to leave the pitch on a stretcher.
Harps pressed after that dismissal, but that came with an element of risk as Longford Town looked to cause trouble on the counter.
The sending off did take the sting out of the game, but it came back as the game entered 12 minutes of injury time.
Despite the disadvantage in numbers, the hosts carried a real threat. Aaron McLaughlin caught the ball with real venom and it was saved brilliantly by Halwax.
There was little the netminder could do about the next chance though, as Harps found their equaliser. McNamee curled the ball in from the left and it floated through the six-yard box for Joel Bradley-Walsh to head home with ease at the back post.
That goal ignited something and Harps ended the game with aplomb, but Halwax proved to be a worthy adversary in the dying embers. He made a smart stop to thwart Ferry from close range, but his apex was a fine diving save to deny a goalbound effort from Dara McGuinness.
Finn Harps: David Aziaya; Max Hutchison, Conor Tourish, Michael Place(Joel Bradley-Walsh 76) Kevin Jordan; David Cawley(Aaron McLaughlin 83), Gavin Gilmore(Gradi Lomboto 76), Gavin McAteer, Tony McNamee, Gavin Hodgins(Patrick Ferry 60); Dara McGuinness.
Longford Town: Harry Halwax; Osaze Irhue(Emmanuel Milongo 74), Aaron Walsh, Dean O’Shea, Oisin Hand; Eric Yoro, Emre Topcu, Aaron Doran(Emmanuel James 85), Mohammed Bodiaf(Dean George 64); Daragh Murtagh(Andrew Spain 85), Joshua Giurgi(Francis Campbell 64).
Referee: Oliver Moran
