FINN HARPS manager Ollie Horgan has laid bare the importance of Friday night’s home game against Wexford Youths.
As Harps prepare to welcome Shane Keegan’s side – last year’s First Division champions – to Finn Park, Horgan says that the game is ‘as big as its been’ for his team this season.
Wexford currently occupy the relegation play-off spot and, while Harps hold an 11-point advantage on the Ferrycarrig men, Horgan is certainly not resting upon that cushion this week.
Wexford finished above Harps in the previous four campaigns, albeit in the First Division.
Such is Horgan’s feelings on the game, the Harps boss is attempting to have Tony McNamee and Ciaran Coll ‘patched up’ in a bid to enable them to play.
“It’s a massive game,” Horgan told Donegal Sport Hub.
“We will have bigger games in terms of fighting relegation, but this is as big as it has been.
[adrotate group=”43″]“Wexford have had the better of us over the last few season. The two sides know each other so well. Attacking-wise they have huge strengths. We’d hope we’d be able to shade it defensively.”
Since defeating Shamrock Rovers 2-0 in the middle of May, Wexford have lost six League games in a row now, but Horgan insists: “Wexford know that they’ve had the measure of us and they’ll be extremely confident coming to Ballybofey.
“They won last year up here when it really mattered.”
[adrotate group=”38″]That game Horgan referenced was a perplexing night in Finn Park when Harps dominated long periods, but came out the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.
Harps lost for the first time in five against Bray Wanderers last time out and had no game last week, owing to the postponement of their fixture with Cork City due to the Rebels’ Europa League game.
Horgan said: “The week off came at a good time. We were very, very poor in Bray. We did up it in the second half and improved.
“Bray were very good in the first half that night. They played at a serious pace and played with a quality that would beat teams a lot better than us.
“The mood was honest that night and they knew that they let themselves down. It was a point lost rather than three points lost, but we know where we went wrong and we just have to put it right this week.”
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