IT WAS THE agony and the ecstasy all at once for Finn Harps as they ended a wretched run of recent form by claiming a priceless point at Sligo Rovers tonight.
Sligo Rovers 0 Finn Harps 0
With the gameclock going into red time, Sligo veteran Raffaele Cretaro stood over a penalty kick after Ethan Boyle was deemed to have fouled Craig Roddan.
Cretaro, Sligo’s top scorer, blazed high into the night sky and Harps took a first point in ten games.
While Harps had their chances to win for the first time since July 8, putting an end to their awful run of defeats will sufficie for now for the couple of hundred traveling supporters in the 1,620 attendance at The Showgrounds.
[adrotate group=”80″]With Wexford Youths eating into a deficit of late and coming with their fingers tapping on Harps shoulders ahead of a nervous conclusion to the season, this certainly comes as a point gained for Ollie Horgan’s team.
They could have won it, but could have lost it in the end. Harps were furious with the awarding of the penalty, but Cretaro riffled well over the top from 12 yards.
Before then, Harps had the better of the openings.
Three times in the opening three minutes of the second half, Harps went agonisingly close to hitting the front.
First, goalkeeper Ciaran Nugent had to claw away when full-back Toby Adebayo-Rowling almost chested into his own net before Adebayo-Rowling and Liam Martin both cleared from beneath the Sligo crossbar from Sean Houston.
Just past the hour mark, Adebayo-Rowling’s cross was only partially cut out and Donegalman Liam Martin shot inches over Brush’s crossbar, his shot from 20 yards rising just too late.
Michael Funston flashed inches wide at the other end as he lashed goalward after a tame free kick by Gareth Harkin fell into his path as they sought a winner.
It was the third attempt for these teams to play 90 minutes at The Showgrounds.
[adrotate group=”83″]Their first, in March, had ended after 86 minutes because of floodlight failure, though the 1-1 scoreline was allowed to stand; while September’s meeting was abandoned amid a downpour after 21 minutes, meaning they were back in combat this evening.
Chances were as scarce as hen’s teeth in the first stanza with neither ‘keeper troubled too much.
Harps’ best opportunity came when former Sligo player Ruairi Keating shot over the top after Houston weaved his way through.
Keating, who is in his third spell at Harps, hobbled off injured on 25 minutes and his replacement, Ryan Curran, was in the thick of the action almost instantly.
[adrotate group=”53″]After Packie Mailey flicked Funston’s long throw into Curran’s path, the striker went to ground under Nugent’s challenge, but Derek Tomney dismissed Harps’ penalty claims.
Funston was recalled to the starting line-up having impressed off the bench during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat in Galway.
His inclusion was one of five changes made by Ollie Horgan, who again played the role of the tinkerman in recalling Richard Brush, Packie Mailey, Barry Molloy and Adam Hanlon, another who energised Harps in Galway.
[adrotate group=”82″]Having come from three down to put Galway to the pins of their collars to going within a whisker of earning a draw by the Corrib, Harps headed for the Showgrounds with a confidence that belied a losing streak of nine games.
Harps had a real let-off five minutes before the break when a Daniel Kearns corner was touched as far as Achille Campion at the far post, but the French striker seemed to be taken by surprise and a hurried shot was saved by Brush.
Moments previously, Cretaro fashioned a shot, but fired into the grateful arms of the Harps netminder.
With 20 minutes remaining Campion showed clever close control to get by Keith Cowan, but he couldn’t direct his shot on target, though it served as a warning shot and a reminer of what the Bit O’Red were capable of in the final third.
Sligo were without the suspended Mick Leahy and the injured Gavin Peers, but Dave Roberston’s rejig didn’t unsettle things greatly, although Sligo did play for long periods at a pedestrian pace.
The hosts were given a golden chance to win it, but Cretaro skied his penalty and for Harps it was a point that surely felt like a win given the manner of the late drama.
Sligo Rovers: Ciaran Nugent; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Craig Roddan, John Russell, Jimmy Keohane; Daniel Kearns (Kieran Sadlier 65), Gary Boylan, Raffaele Cretaro, Pat McCann; Liam Martin; Achille Campion.
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Damien McNulty, Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan, Ethan Boyle; Michael Funston, Sean Houston, Barry Molloy, Gareth Harkin, Adam Hanlon (Tony McNamee 72); Ruairi Keating (Ryan Curran 25).
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
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