Finn Harps take on Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds tonight in the 112th meeting of the teams.
MATCH ABANDONED! Sligo Rovers 1-1 Finn Harps
There actually seems to be a real danger that play won’t continue here.
Over ten minutes of a stoppage here…
Sligo forgot to pay there lighting bills uth @FinnHarpsFC pic.twitter.com/D7QNIarPcS
— Cathal Bennett (@BennettCathal) March 19, 2016
Still no sign of the power coming on. It’s not all gone, but we’ve not got enough to resume. Sligo 1 Harps 1
Play has yet to resume. Any electricians about?
Power failure in the stand here at the Showgrounds and the floodlights on the stand side off too…
82 mins: Damien McNulty with an absolutely belting volley levels the tie. Sligo 1 HArps 1
YES. YES THEY CAN!!!
There is a goal here for Harps. Can they get it?
80 mins: Liam Flatley replaces Dave Scully for Harps. Sligo 1 Harps 0
78 mins: Free kick to Harps, but McHugh’s effort is up and over. Sligo 1 Harps 0
Nicole Bryson sums it up here:
Ref having a nightmare ?
— Nicole Bryson (@NicoleBryson1) March 19, 2016
75 mins: Raymond Foy comes on for Ethan Boyle. Sligo 1 Harps 0
71 mins: Craig Roddan escapes a yellow card when he pulls Ryan Curran down. Shocking decision. And Kevin McHugh gets booked for telling Padraigh Sutton as much. Horgan, Gavin Dykes and Willie O’Connor vent their frustrations. Sligo 1 Harps 0
69 mins: McHugh’s first involvement sends Coll into the box, but he completely miss hit the shot and Schlingermann saves.
68 mins: Here comes Kevin McHugh…replaces Gareth Harkin. Sligo 1 Harps 0
64 mins: Horgan going mental at the linesman down below us here as he gives a throw-in to Sligo. Clearly a Harps throw!
57 mins: Decent ball in by Sadlier from a free kick and Keohane header over from a good position. Sligo 1 Harps 0
49 mins: Ryan Curran’s effort flies over from Hanlon’s free. Still 1-0 to Sligo.
Half-time: Sligo Rovers 1 Finn Harps 0
40 mins: So close to a second Rovers goal, but Peers’ header goes just wide of the far post.
39 mins: Another save by Brush, who denied Sadlier. Both players have been heavily involved so far.
37 mins: Sadlier’s free kick is beaten away by Brush, who has certainly earned his crust so far. Sligo Rovers 1 Finn Harps 0
36 mins: Free kick won by Kieran Sadlier right on the edge of the Harps box…
31 mins: Keith Cowan heads over from Adam Hanlon’s free kick. Harps defender beats Schlingermann to the ball, but heads over the top. Sligo Rovers 1 Finn Harps 0
29 mins: Sligo Rovers force a couple of corners, but Harps do well to clear the danger. Sligo Rovers 1 Finn Harps 0
28 mins: Ollie Horgan, the Harps manager, going absolutely mental at the fourth official, Ray Matthews, down on the sideline there.
25 mins: Sligo still leading through that Chris Lyons goal. Update on earlier message from former Harps player Shaun McGowan, who tells me Jonathan Minnock might’ve scored a free kick winner for Harps on the night we ‘opened’ this fine new stand. Sligo Rovers 1 Finn Harps 0
18 mins: Harps had their moments, with Michael Schlingermann saving at the feet of Tony McNamee and Gavin Peers did well to block a shot from Adam Hanlon, but Sligo were denied again when Brush, somehow, saved a Header from Peers that was destined for the net.
11 mins: Sligo Rovers have broken the deadlock. Regan Donelon, who was on loan at Harps last season, drills the ball over from the left-hand side and Chris Lyons’ header is across Richard Brush for the opener. Sligo Rovers 1 Finn Harps 0
7 mins: Sligo get in behind as Jimmy Keohane’s brilliant pass slips Martin in, but a wonderful challenge by Ciaran Coll thwarts Sligo’s advances. Sligo on top so far.
Harps now in 4-5-1 mode. Ethan Boyle gone into the middle of the park.
1 min: Wow, close one. Liam Martin – who Ollie Horgan tried to sign for Harps – sets up Kieran Sadlier whose shot flies centimetres over Richard Brush’s crossbar.
1 min: Oh, we’re underway here!
Which reminds me. On a soaking night back in the day – no idea of the year, but anyway here’s a story – a group of us decided to open this stand while it was still under construction. God that was a wet night. We jumped the barriers and sat in the new stand. Stewards were not amused. Listen to the men in the yellow bibs, kids! Can’t remember how Harps did that night, but we probably won….In my day, we had a good record against these boys, I think!
It’s nights like this that show the importance of being in the top-flight. Big crowd of Harps fans here making their voices heard. The Showgrounds a transformed venue to how many of us remember from previous trips here down the years.
Richard Brush keeps his place in the Harps team to face his former club while there is a massive boost for Harps with the news that Ciaran Coll starts tonight.
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Ethan Boyle, Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan, Packie Mailey, Ciaran Coll; Adam Hanlon, Gareth Harkin, Dave Scully; Tony McNamee; Ryan Curran.
Regan Donelon was on loan at Finn Harps last season and starts at left-back for Sligo tonight. The Sligo side also includes Donegal man Liam Martin.
Former Harps goalkeeper Declan McIntyre is the Sligo assistant manager and Killybegs man Brian Dorrian also with the Bit O’Red as a coach.
Sligo Rovers welcome Craig Roddan and Kieran Sadlier back from suspension as the side managed by Dave Robertson go in search of their first win of the campaign. Sligo drew 1-1 with Galway United on Monday after losing to Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians in their first two games.
Sligo Rovers: Michael Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Gavin Peers, Tim Clancy, Regan Donelon; Jimmy Keohane, Craig Roddan, Jordan Richards, Liam Martin; Kieran Sadlier, Chris Lyons.
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