Finn Harps Thread

overshoot

grand stuff, only been to homes games and galway away but tried to get the ball down and play when the opportunity allowed. (pitch was very heavy for the first 2 homes games). I was pleasantly surprised at the open play against a premier side down in galway.

think he was more referring to the lads getting overly stuck in, bit more like last season. sounded like Funston (whoever was in no7) put in a very poor tackle and could have been off near the start. tagbo was stupid a youths fan summary of foot.ie said

The excellent Tagbo tried to impede him and both players ended up eyeball to eyeball. Tagbo moved his head forward enough to make contact and although Lee didn't go down, the ref flashed a red to bring Harps down to ten.

hes still a bit raw & over enthusiastic but chases every ball, serious work horse. I can only really put a poor late tackle in galway against him but we were in the dying mins and chasing a third to equalise. He injured 2 against shels jumping for headers but not heard of anything malicious in them and didnt get a card either.

to be honest, Athlone did it in Finn Park last week, away teams are always going to get stuck in against their promotion rivals. We are still carrying last years deserved reputation too. Higher quality refs who could have a word and stamp it out early in a match would go a long way... but its LOI, unbiased is all we can hope for!

NIMAN

Good to hear.

overshoot

Sums up last year to this...
PP odds before the season started
Shelbourne 7/4
Athlone 10/3
Wexford 10/3
UCD 10/3
Waterford 20/1
Cobh Ramblers 25/1
Finn Harps 25/1
Cabinteely FC 40/1

PP odds after 7 games
Wexford 11/4
Harps 3/1
Athlone 7/2
UCD 4/1
Shels 9/2
Waterford 50/1
Cobh 50/1
Cabinteely 100/1

Damn the my rule of never betting on my own team

If we could keep up this pace (near impossible but lets dream) we would finish 8pts ahead of last years champions total and 16pts ahead of second

overshoot

another big game tomorrow. Victory would put a huge 12pts between ourselves and Shels. With Wexford and Athlone playing Cabinteely and Waterford respectively, 3 pts to hold the gap to our closest rivals would be great... before the season id have taken a draw... ha!

nice poster by DIAGA design for the game

Mr_A

Harps won again. We're going so well it's actually starting to freak me out a little!

overshoot

Bucket collection tonight for former player (however brief)and Derry City's top scorer Mark Farren, who is battling an aggressive tumor. previous operations have already had an affect on his mobility and speech.

our good club captain, Kev McHugh has helped launch a website for it
http://www.markfarren.com/teamfarren/

and there will be a friendly in the Brandywell on Saturday the 23rd, a Mark Farren XI managed by Martin o'Neill and NI international select XI managed by Michael O'Neill.
Paddy Mc Court, James Mc Clean, Shane Duffy, Stephen Mc Laughlin and Ireland goalkeeper David Forde have so far agreed to take part.

overshoot

Link to Funstons goal for us, 17 seconds into the game, little nutmeg and 25 yard drive. Even Messi world be proud. Shame half the crowd wasnt in! absolute cracker
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=415241961990620

made much harder work of it than we should have but 3pts, still top and extended our advantage to 3rd & 4th to 9pts

around 2000 raised for Mark Farren too i believe which is good to see

overshoot

Table looks well lads! Home to UCD on Friday night and Wexford play Athlone. We could be miles ahead or back tight as anything at the end of the week.
But we are already in our joint best start ever, 11 undefeated. one more will be a new record for us.

Team Name.....P....W....D....L.....F....A.....Pts
Finn Harps......11....8....3....0....18....7.....27
Wexford Yth...11....7....0....4....24....12....21
UCD..............11....5....3....3....19.....9....18
Athlone Tn.....11....4....3....4....16....12....15
Shelbourne.....11....4....2....5....11....15....14
Cobh Ramblers.11....3....2....6.....8....19....11
Waterford U....11....2....3....6....12....20.....9
Cabinteely......11....2....2....7.....6....20......8


Harps goals v Cobh (all worth a look):
Mickey Funston from 35 yards - admittedly keeper should have done better: https://www.facebook.com/finnharps.underage/videos/360325777511739/

Cobh went 2-1 just after HT but some sustained and fantastic pressure eventually ended in Josh Mailey finishing off a nice team move: https://www.facebook.com/finnharps.underage/videos/360348734176110/

Bit end to end after that and Ray Foy drilled it into the bottom corner from the edge of the box: https://www.facebook.com/finnharps.underage/videos/360375097506807/


Scored 6 in our last 2 games now and again... UCD Friday night for a potential record breaker. Enjoy it while it lasts!

overshoot

change to go 9 clear tonight (if youths lose to 4th placed athlone) and a record 12 unbeaten from the start of a season, currently tied on 11 with 2 other years.

so when your finished voting... Finn Park is looking like a carpet as probably our biggest threat comes to town!

match poster is also class

NIMAN

Pitch looking well, much better than the rubbish at the Brandywell.
Which is a shame as that always used to be one of the best pitches around.
Pitch just a symptom of the decline of the club itself.
Want Pizza back?

Mr_A

Pizza is a very decent man working in difficult circumstances. He deserves the space and time to turn things round at the Brandywell.

NIMAN

He's a decent man, yes would totally agree.
And yes he is working in difficult circumstances.

But if given time I honestly believe we could be playing 1st Div football.

Mr_A

Even if it comes to that, Hutton is just the man to sort it out.

Mr_A

Cup replay in Finn Park on Monday night at 8 as Harps fought to a 1-1 draw in Longford last night. Very impressive after playing with 10 men for 70 minutes.

rightyabe

How's the new stadium coming on? What season will it be ready for?

overshoot

Back to action away to Shels on Friday, the break was much needed after the end of the unbeaten run. Still top though!

Never been any official word on Keating & Donelan although it looks like both are heading back to Sligo... hopefully now Heary is gone it will change but doubt it.
Oisin McMenamin & Kieran McDaid are coming in to bolster the attaching options & hopefully with a proper run up top Tagbo can net a few. Could do with a few more in also to cover injuries.

Annual Draw on now too, Prize of return flights for 2 to Dubai with a 4 night stay in the 5* Bonnington and €500 spending money. Details & tickets (€5 for one, €20 for 5) here.

Also for any coaches out there, Ireland u17 head coach Tom Mohan will have a coaching clinic on June 28 in St. Columba's college, Stranorlar. Details

overshoot

The Three goals last week v Waterford, all worth a watch
Nathan Boyle's First
Ray Foy
Nathan Boyle again

Home to Cobh tomorrow... UCD have had their game v Youths postponed so chance to go back top and open a gap to third. (first home game missed all season )
Our game next week v ucd also postponed which works well for us as a players wedding is that weekend! Means they will also have a lot of matches to play in the run in as they have to make up at least 3

muffler

Nice goal by Foy. Probably the pick of the three.

overshoot

Thought McHugh's passes for Foys and Boyles second were both sublime

AidySevenfold

Could do with a few those tomorrow night down in Wexford.

Mr_A

Last quarter of the season now the the other top four teams all have to come to Finn Park starting with Shelbourne on Friday night. We've wobbled a bit recently but for the first time in too long we're competing at the sharp end of the table going into the final part of the year. Great to see and hopefully people come out and give this very hard working team and manager the support they deserve.

overshoot

Win on Friday and we are 6pts clear (and a better goal diff of 10 or more) of 4th placed Shels with 6 games left. While we have stuttered, a win will make it very difficult for them to catch us and go a long way to at least securing a playoff. Lose and we are definitely in a real scrap with them for 3rd.

After that, hopefully we can look at competing with Wexford & UCD for top. Given both of them will also visit its a great position for the final run in of games. 7 games left, 4 at home, really need the 12th man now!

overshoot

Match poster from DIAGA looks good!

muffler

Good to see the harps back on winning ways again with tonight's 1 - 0 win over Shels

overshoot

6pts and 10goals clear of 4th with 6 to go. See it through now to the playoffs. Our 2 promotion rivals at home in the last 3 games gives us a good shot at the title if we get through the next few. Waterford at home in 2 weeks.

Good game,especially after the goal. Really opened up. Should have had more tonight. Harkin just had it on his wrong foot early on in a 1on 1, Boyle should have squared to tagbo for a tap in when he was through too. If only we had a young McHugh we would walk this division. Think that's 14 clean sheets in 22 games.

overshoot

Waterford are our third last home game Saturday @ 8 ( due to the international). Roddys first visit since he said suggested clubs like harps should be put of the league. Waterford put up one of the best performances of the year in Finn Park, harps edging it 3-2 with a last minute winner. Since Roddy took over their fortunes have got worse, we bet them 3-0 in the last round although they gave Wexford a scare last week.

Win and we are guaranteed to have something to play for on the last day of the season even with a worst case scenario of 3 defeats for us and 3 wins for shels. Rob Waters may be available to make his home debut.

overshoot

The league season is almost up, 3 games left, 2 at home. We can ensure ourselves of at least second tonight by beating UCD (and a home second leg in the playoff).
4th placed Shels playing Wexford in a bit to keep their promotion hopes alive we might still get to dream of top spot. With 3 games to go, we are 9pts and about a dozen goals ahead of Shels so im choosing to look up!

UCD earlier in the year was the biggest crowd of the season with over 1100 and an entertaining 2-2 game. Be nice to get the crowd back for the final promotion push.


oh one of the lads made a goal of the season video. Few crackers in it. Nice team move at the start v waterford but Funstons v waterford (nutmeg and 30yard+ strike) was just a cracker. All votes welcome!

AidySevenfold

Funstys has to win it realistically although we did score some crackers this year

overshoot

job done (unfortunately also for wexford), we will be home in the second leg of both play offs all going to plan... and now we play the waiting game

overshoot

Playoffs next up. 2 buses running to UCD on Friday Contact/Departure details here. €15 return. They will run one via donegal town/ballyshannon with demand. Wet & Dry buses

Good 4-1 win at the weekend, 17 year old BJ banda making his home debut & scored 2. Was an enjoyable game from a harps perspective! Goals on Donegal Sports Hub. Poorest crowd of the year... but im sure we can thank the FAI for that putting it up against france-NZ.