Ollie Horgan: 'I could blame the referee but I'd be clutching at straws'

Finn Harps boss Ollie Horgan cut a charitable figure following his side's 5-3 loss to Bray Wanderers as he resisted the temptation to blame his team's woes on questionable officiating.

His side had fallen victim to a series of unfortunate decisions from Anthony Buttimer at the Carlisle Grounds, falling behind early to goals from a soft free-kick and incorrectly-awarded penalty.

After the break, Harps keeper Ciaran Gallagher was caught in the head by a teammate's knee and, as he lay prostrate on the ground, McCabe rolled the ball into an empty net for his second of the game.

Gallagher was forced to exit the game following a lengthy period of treatment and Horgan later confirmed the goalkeeper had sustained a mild concussion.

Goals from Ciaran O'Connor (2) and Ethan Boyle couldn't rescue the result for Harps, and the 40-odd visiting fans were left to make the long return trip with a justified sense of grievance.

Horgan, who had resigned himself to a season-long relegation before a ball had even been kicked n the Premier Division, took a more circumspect view.

“In the end up, in the last ten minutes we could have lose by a lot more,” Horgan told Extratime.ie following the full-time whistle.

“At that stage, the game was probably gone and I don't know how many chances Dylan Connolly missed at the end, and Bisto [Anto Flood] missed a chance also.

“It could have been a lot, lot more in the last 15 minutes where they were playing on the counter as we had to try squeeze up the pitch.

“Bray are a proper side, and chasing a team like Bray up here at the Carlisle Grounds, they can do serious damage at the other end.”

Nevertheless, Horgan was impressed by some aspects of his side's play, particularly going forward with Dundalk loanee O'Connor and new signing Caolan McAleer to the fore.

“I felt in the first half there was very little in it bar two decisions that didn't go our way.

“We gave them a two-goal start, or maybe a helping hand from elsewhere gave them a two-goal start, but we got back in to it.

“We got back in then at 3-2 at the start of the second half and then I don't know what you'd call the fourth goal. It was a calamity, if that's the correct word.

“You could blame Anthony for not blowing up as he did later on in the game, but I'm clutching at straws when I go down that line. Bray could have won in the end by a lot more.”

Horgan is fully aware, though, that success this season will mean finishing anywhere outside the three relegation spots, and for that they'll need luck as well as improved performances.

The performance was certainly there in patches, with Paddy McCourt influential if a little out of shape when he replaced Michael Funston in the second half, but fortune deserted his side.

“You need every decision to go your way, to put it that way. Did they go our way tonight?

“To be fair to Anthony, he explained what he saw for the free kick that they scored from, but at the same time it was a mistake that we made.

“With the penalty, Mickey himself feels that the handball was outside the area, but to be fair the better side won.

“If that was a last-minute penalty for Bray to win, you might have had a case, but I'm not going to go blaming decisions.

“But you need everything to go your way decisions-wise, especially away from home.”

Horgan will have taken some heart from the string of saves pulled off by sub keeper Harry Doherty, while their attacking shape is much-improved with the added flair of McAleer and O'Connor.

Yet with promoted sides Limerick and Drogheda United having won their matches so far, Horgan stressed that it will take more than marginal improvement to relieve him of his inherent pessimism.

“We're always worried! Every team we play makes us worried. It's a proper, proper league. Have we improved? We probably have attacking-wise.

“Defensively, tonight, we certainly haven't and we'll need to improve at both ends if we're to survive in this division.”

Gallagher is likely to miss Friday's visit of fellow pointless side Galway United, while Damien McNulty played on despite shipping a bang on his troublesome shoulder.

“Damien got a knock on his shoulder and he's had some difficulty with his shoulder over the years, but hopefully he'll be OK.

“We need everybody to play another proper side in Galway. They're a proper side as well – I'm trying to think is there any side you would fancy your chances with?

“We've got 31 games to go and we'll see where it takes us.”