FINN HARPS BURIED THEIR derby day hoodoo for a famous win over Derry City tonight.
Finn Harps 2 Derry City 1
Dave Scully and former Derry player Ryan Curran – both on their Harps debuts – gave newly-promoted Harps what was only their second ever League win over their bitter rivals.
In 59 previous meetings in all competitions, Harps had won just five times, but this was a night to savour as Harps marked their return to the Premier Division in style.
They were left to bite the finger nails late in the day as Rory Patterson prodded past Ciaran Gallagher in the 92nd minute.
Nathan Boyle, who was a key part of Harps’ promotion-winning panel last season, played Patterson in and the Strabane native finished well.
By then, a large chunk of Derry’s supporters had left, with Harps toasting a night of glory against their old foes,
Harps have endured 18 long years since their last – and only previous – League success over Derry, in February 1998 when Donal O’Brien headed home in a 1-0 win.
There were echoes of O’Brien in the air when Harps stole a march in first-half stoppage time.
Scully was adjudged to have been fouled out on the left flank by Derry’s Danish full-back Niclas Vemmelund.
Adam Hanlon curled in the free and Scully rose at the far post to fire a downward header beyond Gerard Doherty, the Derry goalkeeper.
15 minutes from the end, Finn Park erupted for a second time. Derry’s offside trap was suspect and Curran timed his run to perfection. Keith Cowan headed into the space and Curran cooly finished low to the Town End net.
Scully’s opening goal came not long after Harps survived a real scare at the other end as Ciaran Coll hooked off the goal-line from Ryan McBride’s header, with City claiming the ball had crossed the line.
Jordan Allen, somehow, couldn’t direct a follow-up header to the net.
A couple of tasty tackles aside, it was a derby that took some time to come to life with a sandy Finn Park surface hardly make for good viewing.
Yet it was Harps who hit the front through Scully, right on the blow of Tom Connolly’s half-time whistle.
Early on, Derry showed the greater promise with Allen heading wide from a Gareth McGlynn cross before Damien McNulty denied McGlynn with a brave block.
Close-on 4,500 jammed their way into the old ground for a night that showed just what Harps had been missing in their seven seasons in the First Division.
Harps handed debuts to Ryan Curran, Hanlon, Scully and Barry Molly, while there was a second coming at Finn Park for Sean Houston, who previously played for the club in 2009.
Houston and Curran had scored the goals for Derry in a 2-1 win over Galway United on the opening night of last season, but Houston’s night lasted 19 minutes before an injury forced him off.
Fourth official Michael Connolly held up the board showing the number 11 of Tony McNamee to come on, putting him in direct competition with his brother, Barry, with whom he’d travelled to the game.
Tony McNamee’s presence certainly added new life to the Harps midfield and it was from a long throw-in by the Ramelton man that the hosts fashioned their first chance, but Packie Mailey’s shot was deflected over by Ryan McBride.
As a spectacle, it won’t go down as the most memorable derby, but trying telling that to the delerious blue and white hoardes who danced into the night.
For Scully and Curran, there’s a place in the pantheon alongside Sammy Johnston, Donal O’Brien and Alex Nesovic and for Ollie Horgan and his men there is the perfect start to life in the top flight.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Damien McNulty, Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan, Ciaran Coll; Dave Scully, Barry Molloy (Raymond Foy ’78), Gareth Harkin, Adam Hanlon (Kevin McHugh ’88); Sean Houston (Tony McNamee ‘19), Ryan Curran.
Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Niclas Vemmelund, Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry, Dean Jarvis; Conor McCormack (Harry Monaghan ‘76), Aaron McEneff, Barry McNamee, Gareth McGlynn (Ronan Curtis ’70); Jordan Allan (Nathan Boyle ’60), Rory Patterson.
Referee: Tom Connolly (Dublin).
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