UCD deepens Finn Harps’ misery with a home victory at the UCD Bowl

Curtis and Raggett strike to finish the match 2-0 for the Students as Finn Harps suffer their fifth consecutive league defeat, endangering play-off hopes

UCD 2
Finn Harps 0

By Daire Walsh

Goals either side of half-time from Harry Curtis and Michael Raggett proved decisive at the UCD Bowl on Friday night as Finn Harps fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of UCD.

As well as being their fifth consecutive loss in the league (and a sixth in all competitions), this result also puts a further dent in Harps’ bid to secure a promotion play-off spot. Currently seventh in the First Division table, Darren Murphy’s men are currently six points behind fifth-place Wexford with eight games remaining in their regular campaign.

In total, the Harps starting line-up for this game showed three changes from the side that lost out 2-0 away to the aforementioned Wexford a fortnight earlier.

In addition to Oisin Cooney taking over from Tim Hiemer between the sticks, Patrick Ferry and Ryan Rainey were also drafted into the first 11 in place of Matthew Makinson and David Cawley.

Third in the second-tier table coming into this game, UCD were the dominant side in terms of possession during the opening quarter. Their marauding wing-back Luke O’Regan was finding himself in plenty of space down the right flank, albeit the Harps’ defence – and Noe Baba in particular – were cutting out his crosses into the box with relative comfort.

UCD attacker Jake Doyle subsequently had a go from distance on 17 minutes, but Cooney convincingly saved his low effort to ensure the deadlock remained unbroken.

The Harps netminder was also forced to turn away a goal-bound Raggett strike with his outstretched foot and the away side received a set-back when Rainey was withdrawn through injury just past the half-hour mark.

It still looked like Darren Murphy’s men were going to enter the interval on level terms – until Harry Curtis clinically headed home a Ronan Finn delivery four minutes into first-half stoppage-time.

This was a hammer blow for Harps heading into the second half and matters became even more precarious on the restart when Raggett got on the end of a precise through ball from Finn and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The Ballybofey side were left with a mountain to climb as a consequence, but Conor Tourish was desperately unfortunate to see his piledriver on 50 minutes rattling the underside of the crossbar without ultimately crossing the line.

Cooney subsequently had to be on his toes at the opposite end to deny the lively Doyle, but with Kevin Jordan and Bruce Strachan offering fresh legs off the bench, Harps persevered with their challenge moving into the final-quarter.

In fact, they had a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back on 72 minutes, but Ferry couldn’t find a way past UCD custodian Kian Moore from close-range.

Although Max Johnston and Gavin McAteer were also introduced off the bench in the closing minutes of the action, Harps ultimately couldn’t reduce their two-goal deficit and will now switch their focus to a home fixture against Cobh Ramblers in Finn Park next Friday.

UCD: Kian Moore; Eanna Clancy, Harry Curtis, Adam Wells; Luke O’Regan (Alex Dunne 91), Sean Brennan (Adam Brennan 93), Ronan Finn, Adam Verdon, Sam Norval; Jake Doyle; Michael Raggett (Hugh Parker 76).

Finn Harps: Oisin Cooney; Jamie Watson, Conor Tourish (Gavin McAteer 80), Noe Baba, Luke O’Brien (Kevin Jordan 60); Ryan Rainey (Aaron McLaughlin 31), Max Hutchison (Bruce Strachan 60); Patrick Ferry, Tony McNamee, Success Edogun; Sean Patton (Max Johnston 80).

Referee: Ryan Maher.