Finn Harps up to second, but thankful for three early goals as Cabinteely make them sweat

IT really ought not to have become an ordeal, but that’s exactly what it was as Finn Harps fell over the line for a win over Cabinteely FC.

Cabinteely FC 2 Finn Harps 3

 Captain Kevin McHugh bagged a double and Nathan Boyle added a third as Harps flew into a three-goal lead before half-an-hour had been played.

It seemed as if Harps would steamroll the Dublin outfit and there were thoughts that that Harps could even go onto score four for the first time since their 4-1 FAI Cup win over Avondale last September.

Picture caption: Kevin McHugh fires home the ninth-minute penalty for Finn Harps’ first goal against Cabinteely. Photo courtesy of Gary Foy.

However, what happened was the exact opposite.

Cabinteely pulled a goal back through Karl Byrne early in the second half and they flirted with the notion of a comeback, but it wasn’t until sub Conor Foley netted in added time that they got their second.

By the end, Harps were thankful and relieved to have netted that trio of first-half goals.

Seven minutes into the second half, full-back Byrne worked his way across the edge of the penalty area and planted a sweetly-struck left-footed shot right into the bottom corner, denying Ciaran Gallagher a 15^th clean sheet of the campaign.

Right at the end, Foley blasted high into the net after Raymond Foy took an attempt by Kevin Knight off the line, but Harps stayed calm to hold onto their lot.

Harps, who made just one change from the 1-0 win over Shelbourne a fortnight earlier with Thomas McMonagle coming in to take the place of the suspended Matthew Crossan, started like an express train.

The visitors took just nine minutes to hit the front.

Michael Funston was played in by Boyle and as he went to skip around rookie goalkeeper Gillen, the Bonagee man was taken down and referee John McLaughlin pointed to the spot.

Ice runs through McHugh’s veins in these moments and the Killea man stepped forth to tuck home the penalty.

On 22 minutes, McHugh doubled his tally and Harps’ lead. McHugh was played in on the left-hand side of the box and he made no mistake with a crisp finish beneath Gillen.

It was Harps’ first goal from open play in 291 minutes, their first since Wilfried Tagbo’s injury-time strike against Cobh last month at Finn Park.

Like the one about the bus, two came along almost at the one time. Seven minutes later, it was 3-0 as Boyle, on loan from Derry City until the end of the season, nipped in to disposess Gillen and fire into the far corner.

Ten minutes before the break, Cabinteely had their first attempt of the game, but Gallagher denied Richie Purdy with a magnificent reaction save.

Cabinteely had denied Harps with a last-gasp John McKeown goal back in May and there were anxious moments for the travelling supporters when Purdy crashed a ferocious free header off the post soon after Byrne’s goal.

Rob Waters replaced Boyle at the break with Boyle having been nursing a leg injury since training on Wednesday night.

Eddie Gormley’s Cabinteely were without McKeown, who was suspended, as were Victor Ekanem and Sodiq Oguntola while the injured pair Shane O’Neill and Jamie McGlynn didn’t make the starting line-up.

Harps, roared on by a vociferous away support, tried to turn the screw and but for the intervention of Stephen Dunne, they’d have added a fourth.

First, Dunne cleared Damien McNulty’s header off his goal-line before he charged down Rob Waters’ follow-up.

They were closer still to number four when Cowan’s header skimmed the post while Waters was inches wide when he got a shot away in a crowded box.

After their initial rip-roaring start, Harps retreated and didn’t trouble Gillen greatly until Raymond Foy forced a save from the teenager with four minutes left on the clock.

When Foley scored a second for the home side, finger nails were shortened, but Harps are back up into second spot with a precious win.

Cabinteely FC: Cathal Gillen; Karl Byrne, Edward McDonagh, Josh Quinlivan, Kevin Knight; Sean Burke (Conor Foley, half-time), Richard Purdy, Aaron Brilly, Michael Brown (Darren Clarke ’83); Peter Durrad, Stephen Dunne (Simon Power ‘75).

 Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan, Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll; Michael Funston (Wilfried Tagbo ’81), Raymond Foy, Gareth Harkin, Tony McNamee; Nathan Boyle (Rob Waters, half-time), Kevin McHugh.

 Referee: John McLaughlin (Athlone).