Finn Harps’ two-season spell in the Premier Division was ended last weekend, Sligo Rovers driving the final nail into the lid with a 3-0 home win over Derry City.
Harps have spent 14 weeks of the season in the relegation zone, but the crucial point is that Harps have been in the relegation positions in 9 of the last 10 weeks, having failed to win since a 2-0 win over Limerick at the Markets Field in September.
Ollie Horgan’s men were as high as sixth after the 2-1 win over Sligo in the early weeks of the campaign and did flirt with mid-table for long spells.
Ultimately, though, they ran out of legs and games.
1 – Absence of home form
For all the hopes about turning Finn Park into a fortress, Harps took only 13 of their 30 points in Ballybofey.
Harps lost 11 times out of 16 home fixtures in 2017 and, certainly, those home losses against Drogheda, twice, Galway United and Sligo Rovers took a heavier toll than anything else.
In 2016, Harps took 23 points at home – ten points more than this season.
Strangely, Harps scored two more goals at Finn Park (15 as opposed to 13) this season, but those home defeats are the prime reason that Harps, ultimately, fell into the quicksand.
2 – Too many late goals
Many supporters nod to the moment Rhys McCabe went scampering towards the Town End to score past Ciaran Gallagher on September 16 as the point at which the Fat Lady began clearing her throat.
It was true, McCabe’s goal to give Sligo Rovers a 2-1 derby win at Finn Park had been a body blow, but late concessions were nothing new in 2017.
Of the 64 goals Harps conceded this season, 19 of them – or, put another way, just shy of 30 per cent (29.7) – arrived on or after the 70th minute. Those 19 goals accounted for the fall of 10 points off the Harps tally.
There were times when the late ones stung hard.
Simon Madden’s 90th minute winner for Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght; goals by Ronan Murray and Vinny Faherty for Galway United to turn a game at Eamonn Deacy Park; Ronan Murray’s double for Galway in Ballybofey; or Derry’s late sucker punches, by Darren Cole and Aaron McEneff, for a 2-0 win at Finn Park.
Cork City’s Garry Buckley also bagged a goal just outside that window – netting in the 69th minute in Ballybofey.
3 – Barry Molloy departure left a gaping hole
Barry Molloy was coaxed back out of retirement following persistence and persuasion by Ollie Horgan and Paul Hegarty.
The veteran midfielder was an unused substitute in the 3-1 home defeat by Galway at the start of August and was not in a matchday squad since. It is believed that Molloy was unable to appear due to personal reasons.
His loss was felt heavily in the run-in, particularly as there wasn’t a similar replacement.
Harps missed the guile, experience and ability of the Bishop Street man in those moments when the temperature in the cooker was cranked up.
It was no coincidence that Harps lost their way without him.
4 – Lack of cover at crucial times
Harps bid farewell to Thomas McMonagle and Michael Funston in April and June respectively – and their absences could be felt as the season advanced.
The versatile McMonagle had become increasingly frustrated at the lack of game time he had been afford, leaving after starting only two games – EA Sports Cup fixtures against Cockhill and Sligo.
Funston played the last of his 335 games for Harps in the 0-0 draw at Sligo in June.
“I made no bones about that: I want to play every minute,” he said after confirming his decision to leave.
When defensive cover was thin on the ground, McMonagle’s absence was glaring and Funston’s experienced was missed particularly in the wake of Molloy’s departure.
Pascal Millien bid farewell after a disappointing spell at the club, while new signings like Ibrahim Keita and Mark Timlin didn’t catch fire how it might have been hoped.
5 -The case for the defence fails to stand up
In the last three seasons, Harps earned a reputation as being notoriously hard to beat most of the time and, for a side battling at the lower end of the scale, their goals against column was a respectable 49 last season.
With one game to go this year, Harps have already shipped 64 – one less than the leakiest side in the Division, Drogheda United.
Harps had more of an attacking threat this year – helped obviously by the acquisition of Paddy McCourt – and significantly upped their goals for total. Ahead of Friday’s visit to Bohemians, Harps have netted 34 times, as opposed to just 23 in 2016.
Keith Cowan, who suffered a horror knee injury in a game against St Patrick’s Athletic in 2016, proved a massive loss for Harps this year and supporters were pining for his return in recent weeks when Peter was robbed to pay Paul in terms of the positioning of some in the rearguard.
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