ETHAN BOYLE’S FIRST Finn Harps goal fired Ollie Horgan’s men into the next round of the EA Sports Cup at the expense of Cockhill Celtic.
Finn Harps 1 Cockhill Celtic 0
Boyle (pictured above by Gary Foy, newsandsportfiles) struck the winner in the 23rd minute of a game that never came to life, but remained in the balance until Michael Connolly shrilled the whistle for the final time.
Waterford native Boyle, who had been capped by Horgan at Schoolboys level prior to signing for Harps from Waterford United, took full advantage when the space opened in front of him.
Boyle trotted in from a position on the right-hand side and, with Cockhill standing off, he drove into the bottom left corner of Gavin Cullen’s net.
Cockhill included in their number former Harps players Cullen, Gerry Gill and Garbhan Friel, while ex-Cockhill goalkeeper Lee McCarron began on the bench for Harps.
Despite the familiarity, it was a night that never caught fire, although Cockhill stayed in touch and only an awkward save by Richard Brush kept out an effort from Jimmy Bradley that bounced horribly in front of the Harps ‘keeper.
Malachy McDermott thought he had leveled it, but Brush gathered after McDermott connected with a long Kieran McLaughlin throw-in.
Five minutes of added time were played and a frenetic finale ensued with Friel going close twice, fizzing dangerous across goal and wide after being thwarted by the busy Brush.
Only Boyle, Brush and Gareth Harkin survived the ringing of the changes by Horgan, with debuts for former Manchester United youth player Ryan McConnell and striker Michael Rafter.
Tipperary native Rafter remains a good way off full fitness and was withdrawn at half-time.
Harps began with purpose when Michael Funston’s cross picked out Kevin McHugh, but the veteran striker fired wide from a position that is normal easy pickings for the Killea man.
Harps had a poor record against opposition from the Ulster Senior League with no wins from their first ten meetings – a sequence that included seven draws – but they’d won their previous five including a 3-2 win over Cockhill two years ago.
Cockhill have dominated the USL, winning the League and League Cup double in each of the last three campaigns and they arrived in Ballybofey leading this season’s race.
The Inishowen men weren’t here to make up the numbers and had the ball in the net on the quarter-hour mark.
Jimmy Bradley was steering past Brush, referee Michael Connolly had already blown for a foul by Derek Doherty on Raymond Foy. It was certainly a moment about which Cockhill were entitled to feel aggrieved about given that Doherty’s tackle appeared a well-timed one.
Gill curled a free-kick not far wide of the target, but it took a smart save from Cullen to deny Foy a second after he was put through by McHugh.
The first half ended with Rafter popping over the top after a good exchange from Boyle and Flatley, while a Foy corner careered off a Cockhill defender and onto the crossbar ten minutes beforehand.
A snapshot from Foy, just ten seconds into the new half, forced Cullen into a save.
The more the game went on, the more Harps were in danger of being caught and Malachy McDermott will feel on reflection that he could have hit the target in the 73rd minute.
After stealing into space to meet Gill’s corner, McDermott flicked a header over the crossbar.
Brush saved from Bradley and, while Cockhill launched the contents of the kitchen towards the Town End, Harps survived.
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Ethan Boyle, Thomas McMonagle, Ryan McConnell, Matthew Crossan; Liam Flatley, Michael Funston, Raymond Foy; Gareth Harkin (Damien McNulty 76); Michael Rafter (Ryan Curran, half-time), Kevin McHugh (Tony McNamee 59).
Cockhill Celtic: Gavin Cullen; Kieran McLaughlin, Peter Doherty, Gerard McLaughlin (Michael Coyle 90), Jason Breslin (David Coyle 76); Derek Doherty (Paul McKinney 83), Malachy McDermott, Jimmy Bradley, Ronan Doherty; Gerry Gill; Garbhan Friel.
Referee: Michael Connolly (Donegal).
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