Hutton delighted with show of character

Finn Harps boss Peter Hutton has challenged his players to build on Saturday night’s 3-2 win against Mervue United in Ballybofey in a bid to put a terrible run of results well and truly behind them.

Harps boasted just one win in nine games prior to the visit of Johnny Glynn’s side and have consequently been cut adrift of the higher placed teams in the second tier.

But Hutton is hoping his side can finally eradicate the dejected feeling that comes from losing consecutive games with a series of positive results on the bounce.

“We’ve just challenged the boys there to go on a bit of a run. But to go on a run you need to pick up that first win so hopefully now the boys can maintain those good habits. We have to be professional and prepare as best we can now for the Athlone game,” he said.  

Harps looked to be coasting on Saturday night after Kevin McHugh and Paul McVeigh had given the home side a comfortable two-goal lead.

But Mervue hit back and two goals from Alan Murphy levelled matters up before McVeigh sealed the win for Harps with a headed goal midway through the second half.

Hutton added: “It’s good entertainment for the neutrals when there’s plenty of goals but it’s not good for the nerves.

“I thought we were very comfortable in the first half, we were really in the ascendancy and created a lot of chances. Once we went two up I thought we just had to be professional and see it out to half-time.

“But, unfortunately again, sloppy defending has let us down. It wasn’t just in the back four, the midfield sat off them as well. I thought we let them get turned and dictate play.

“The penalty decision that made it two each was a bit harsh to say the least. Keith didn’t even see your man, he was swinging to clear the ball and the guy just put his head down to head the ball. The ref deemed it a rash tackle which I thought was very harsh.

“It seems to be the way it’s going against us at the moment, conceding penalties and things like that and it’s punishing us.

“The boys showed a lot of character to bounce back from that then. They changed their formation a bit and their number eight was picking up a lot of the ball. They were pressing us higher up the field and that was putting us under pressure.

“So we had to deal with that and we changed ourselves a wee bit tactically to get ourselves back into the game. I thought we were good value then for the win.”

Hutton paid tribute to Paul McVeigh, who got off the mark with his first and second senior goals for the club, while also crediting the performance of Aaron O’Hagan in the middle of the park.  

He said: “I’m delighted for young Paul McVeigh who has worked tremendously hard over the last few weeks and I think he has got his just rewards tonight. I thought Aaron O’Hagan did very well tonight as well in what was something of an alien position for him, but he did well alongside Shaun McGowan.”

The Harps boss also expressed his disappointment at the news that midfielder Thomas McBride has been slapped with a seven-game suspension following his second sending-off of the season against Limerick last weekend.

“It’s a massive disappointment,” he said. “He’s an exceptional player but for his misdemeanours, not just in the Limerick game, but the previous Limerick game where he also got a straight red card, he has to accept the consequences.

“It’s a severe punishment but it’s not an alien thing, other players throughout the league have had to deal with similar punishment.”