THE BOOKMAKERS had Finn Harps listed on their blackboards as 16/1 shots for a win at Oriel Park – and Dundalk showed why with a comfortable win over the Donegal side.
Dundalk 3 Finn Harps 0
Paddy Barrett and Patrick McEleney netted for the champions while Ryan Curran put through his own goal in the 75th minute.
Dundalk were well in command, even if it did take them an age to find a second goal that, finally, knocked the stuffing out of a theretofore resilient harps.
Dundalk led through Barrett’s header in the 16th minute but despite being well on top, Stephen Kenny’s men didn’t double the advantage until McEleney powered home in the 59th minute.
Dane Massey’s cut-back was met by the in-rushing McEleney, whose finish was majestic, giving debutant goalkeeper Richard Brush no chance.
The ex-Sligo Rovers ‘keeper was handed his Harps debut with Ciaran Gallagher unavailable because of work commitments with his new job at Pramerica.
It wasn’t quite the ordeal that some – including the turf accountants – might have imagined – but Dundalk were still the boxer jabbing constantly with Harps on the back foot just avoiding the knockout.
There was a big worry for Harps followers with Ciaran Coll stretchered off in the closing stages.
Understrength Harps were just a goal down at half-time, but McEleney’s goal dispelled any notion of an upset. A closed season recruit from Derry, McEkeney cracked home the brilliant second.
Curran was unfortunate to steer into his own net when Daryl Horgan’s corner dropped into his path and Horgan could have made it four only for a cheeky effort to just miss the top corner.
By the end, Harps were perhaps thankful to escape without a more chastening experience with the memories of an 8-1 defeat here still fresh in the minds of Dave Scully from his time at Bray Wanderers last season.
Oriel Park can do that to visiting sides.
The old ground on the Carrick Road reeks of history. The images that line the walls of the Oriel Bar depict famous European nights against the likes of Liverpool, Celtic, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV Eindhoven, Ajax and FC Porto.
Those frames hung almost unchallenged until Stephen Kenny’s back-to-back heroes in the last two seasons after the club was saved from the brink of extinction in 2012.
Harps were undaunted, though, and arrived with confidence brimming following their 2-1 win over Derry City last week in Ballybofey, but they fell behind after a quarter-of-an-hour.
Darren Meenan, who spent the 2006 season at Harps when he scored once in 14 League appearances, swung in a corner and Barrett rose to flick a header beyond Brush.
Brush had turned over a shot from Horgan, who was teed up by Ciaran Kilduff, but Barrett’s headed the champions ahead from the resulting corner.
Soon after, Meenan’s teasing free kick to the back post was met by Barrett, but the defender powered a header wide, again when ghosting away from the Harps rearguard.
If Barrett’s opener was to be the cue for the floodgates to open it didn’t quite materialise, even though Dundalk were dominating the possession percentage by a landslide.
Horgan also gave a debut to former Waterford player Ethan Boyle, who took the place of the injured Packie Mailey, while Michael Funston and Raymond Foy were included in a midfield that was minus the injured Barry Molloy and Sean Houston.
The Harps manager admitted during the week that the sight of Molloy wearing a leg brace to protect a medial knee ligament injury picked up against Derry City had ‘wrecked the week’.
The night began with Dundalk keen to put on a show for the 3,216 who showed upfor their first home game of the season, but they found Harps a tough nut to crack.
Right on the blow of Ray Matthews’ half-time whistle, Dundalk were a whisker away from doubling their advantage, but Patrick McEleney, a closed-season recruit from Derry, glanced a header off the post.
Ronan Finn had header over from a promising cross by Kilduff and Brush held on to a stinging drive by Chris Shiels, though Harps will have been content to head in the tunnel just a goal in arrears at the break.
Harps’ first meaningful attempt on goal came from Curran seven minutes into the second half.
The Harps striker got on the mark at the wrong end 15 minutes from the end.
It might have been a more chastening experience, but Finn whizzed a shot just over and Brush saved Damien McNulty’s bacon with a smart reflex save.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Andy Boyle, Paddy Barrett, Chris Shiels3; Dane Massey; Darren Meenan (John Mountney ‘69), Ronan Finn, Dane Massey, Daryl Horgan; Patrick McEleney (Robbie Benson ‘76); Ciaran Kilduff (David McMillan ‘72).
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Ethan Boyle, Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan, Ciaran Coll; Adam Hanlon (Liam Flatley ‘67), Michael Funston, Raymond Foy, Gareth Harkin (Kevin McHugh ’78), Dave Scully; Ryan Curran (Matthew Crossan ’78).
Referee: Ray Matthews (Mullingar).
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