FINN HARPS ARE OUT of the FAI Cup after Intermediate Cup champions Crumlin United scored a famous win in Ballybofey.
Finn Harps 0 Crumlin United 1
A week after hammering Letterkenny Rovers in the Intermediate Cup final at Aviva Stadium, Greg Moorhouse’s 49th minute goal fired them through to the next round of the Senior Cup.
Moorhouse hit a hat-trick in last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Rovers and he was the hero of the hour here.
[adrotate group=”50″]Four minutes into the second half, Moorhouse’s predatory instincts were outlined as he shot past Richard Brush after Dean Hurley’s shot squirmed away from the Harps goalkeeper.
Harps were reduced to ten men in the 64th minute when midfielder Barry Molloy was given a second yellow card in just three minutes.
Moorhouse was inches from a second when he shot across Brush only for his shot to come off the base of the post.
[adrotate group=”51″]Earlier, Luke Kelly had a shot deflected past Brush off Molloy but, fortunately for Harps, it trickled beyond the post, too.
Packie Mailey forced Shane Supple, the former Ipswich Town goalkeeper, into two brilliant saves, one in each half, but Harps created little in the way of clear-cut chances.
It was a feeble attempt by the home side, who have now not scored in their last three outings and have suffered a first-ever home FAI Cup loss to non-League opposition – this their first Cup exit at non-League hands since their infamous defeat by Wayside Celtic in 1997.
[adrotate group=”62″]Crumlin rattled Harps with some early pressure and, indeed, the home side were rather fortunate to keep the sheet clean in those moments when the Dubliners outlined why they’ve just won back-to-back Intermediate Cups.
Ciaran Coll headed away from underneath Richard Brush’s crossbar, with James Lee’s follow-up wide of the mark.
Crumlin were closer still when Moorhouse opted to centre, but Alan McGreal steered wide from the edge of the six-yard box.
Roles had been reversed just before that when Moorhouse got his head to McGreal’s cross, but his attempt was too close to Brush.
[adrotate group=”37″]Harps showed three changes to the team that lost 4-0 at St Patrick’s Athletic on Tuesday night with Brush, Liam Flatley and Gareth Harkin coming in from the off in place of Ciaran Gallagher, Tony McNamee and Dave Scully.
Flatley was involved in Harps’ best two openings in the first half when he showed good promise down the right flank.
First, in the 28th minute, his teasing cross was met by Mailey, whose powerful header was well kept out by Supple, at full stretch.
[adrotate group=”38″]Flatley, who had an earlier shot deflected wide off Noel Murray, forced Supple into an even better save when his free kick was turned over by the Crumlin stopper’s fingertips.
Supple brilliantly turned away again from Mailey, but Moorehouse’s goal would prove the winning of the tie and leave Harps returning to the drawing board ahead of next Sunday’s clash with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght.
[adrotate group=”43″]Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Ethan Boyle (Tony McNamee 76), Packie Mailey, Damien McNulty, Ciaran Coll; Liam Flatley, Barry Molloy, Sean Houston, Gareth Harkin; Adam Hanlon (Kevin McHugh 67), Ryan Curran (Dave Scully 76).
Crumlin United: Shane Supple; Jonathan Meleady, Noel Murray, Paddy Brophy, Daniel McGuinness; Carl Forsyth, Luke Kelly, James Lee, Alan McGreal; Greg Moorhouse, Dean Hurley.
Referee: Ray Matthews (Mullingar).
Tags: