Finn Harps have been hit with a suspension hammer for the visit of Waterford United to Ballybofey this evening.
Ollie Horgan will be without four key players due to bans.
Captain Keith Cowan is out due to an accumulation of bookings, while a similar fate has befallen Sam Todd, Caolan McAleer and Mark Coyle.
Harps’ ire has been risen with the fact that Coyle should have been banned last week – but Harps were free owing to the rescheduling of the game against Shamrock Rovers.
Now, Horgan is without two of his defenders and two other in-form players in McAleer and Coyle. Harps assistant manager Paul Hegarty will also serve one game of a three-game touchline ban.
Horgan is already down Ciaran Gallagher, Gareth Harkin, Mark Timlin and Harry Ascroft through injury and striker Sean Boyd is said to be a doubt with a hamstring injury.
“It is what it is now but it’s really difficult for us to have to face into the Waterford game tomorrow night four players all out at the one time,” Horgan said.
“On the flip side it’s certainly another chance for players who had to be patient on the subs bench to start a game and stake a claim for to be in team every week.
“They deserve their chance so hopefully now they can give a good account of themselves, that gives us a chance of taking the three points.”
Harps claimed their first League win of the season last time out, two weeks ago, when they defeated UCD 3-0 at Finn Park. Horgan’s men have taken five points form their last three games.
Waterford won the corresponding game at The RSC 4-0 and the Blues stayed last night in Letterkenny.
Horgan said: “Ideally, we need to score first and see where it goes from there.
“Waterford have players who will punish us if we are not fully focused. You have the likes of JJ Lunney, Shane Duggan, Hery, Akinade, Drina and Georgie Poynton who are excellent footballers going forward.
“They will take some watching from our lads and at the same time we’ll have to find ways of getting at them and scoring.”
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