SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Shamrock Rovers 1
Finn Harps 1
Daire Walsh, Tallaght Stadium
Dave Scully came to the rescue of Finn Harps at the Tallaght Stadium yesterday afternoon, when the Ballybofey outfit played out an entertaining draw with 10-man Shamrock Rovers in the Premier Division.
Following recent comprehensive league defeats to champions Dundalk and St Patrick’s Athletic, Harps boss Ollie Horgan selected a five-man defence for their latest trip to Dublin. It was hoped that this would stifle the pacey Rovers attack, but with just eight minutes gone on the clock, they found themselves falling behind.
When Ciaran Coll beat Brandon Miele to a long-ball, it looked like the danger had been diverted by the visitors. However, the wing-back’s header was spilled behind for a corner by Harps custodian Ciaran Gallagher, Miele’s subsequent corner from the left-wing was nodded home by the imposing Shaw.
This was precisely the kind of start that the Donegal men were aiming to avoid, and with former Republic of Ireland international Stephen McPhail dictating the flow of the play from his central midfield position, Rovers largely dominated the opening period.
Miele was narrowly off-target from a Simon Madden pull-back on 22 minutes, while Gallagher also produced an outstanding save from the ever-dangerous Shaw in the closing stages of the half.
The Metropolitans were ideally placed to claim all three points upon the resumption, but they were left shell-shocked in the 48th-minute – as an enticing cross from the left-flank was headed into the bottom right-hand corner by Dave Scully.
This increased the pressure on the Hoops, and even though Gary McCabe and Dean Clarke were agonisingly close in their efforts to edge the 17-time champions back into the ascendancy, they suffered another hammer blow to their chances with 24 minutes remaining in the tie.
Gary McCabe was shown a straight red-card for an off-the-ball incident, and with a numerical advantage now at their disposal, Harps entered the final-quarter in a buoyant mood. Indeed, Funston was marginally wide of the mark with a late right-footed drive, but when you take their recent struggles into consideration, they would have been pleased to secure a share of the spoils.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Hyland; Madden, Cornwall, Heaney, O’Connor; McCabe, McPhail (Cregg 80), Brennan; Clarke (North 70), Shaw, Miele (Doona 85).
FINN HARPS: Gallagher; Boyle (J Mailey 93), McNulty, P Mailey, McMonagle, Coll; Funston, Harkin, Hanlon (McNamee 71); Houston, Scully (McHugh 62).
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).