20.00 14 Mar 2016 -
Referee: Neil Doyle
League Preview: Finn Harps -v- Shamrock Rovers
- Macdara Ferris
- Sun, Mar 13 2016
FINN HARPS
After their fine opening night 2-1 home win over Derry City on Finn Harps’ return to top flight football, Ollie Horgan’s men had somewhat of a comedown last Friday when they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 away to Dundalk. Things don’t get any easier for Harps this Monday when they welcome Shamrock Rovers to Finn Park (kick off 8pm).
Harps have to deal with some cruel early season injury blows as, having lost both Barry Molloy and Sean Houston to injury during the win against Derry, Ciaran Coll ended the game in Oriel Park leaving the pitch on a stretcher.
“It’s another player in the space of seven days who looks like he’ll be out long term,” said Harps boss Ollie Horgan speaking to finnharps.com about the loss of three of his squad.
“Ciaran suffered an injury to his knee without anyone being around him, which is not a good sign. He is one of our most consistent, fit and better players. A difficult task has got even more difficult, going along with the long-term injuries to Barry Molloy and Sean Houston.”
Having conceded a goal within the first quarter against the Champions last Friday, Harps stood firm until just before the hour mark, with a third Dundalk goal coming 15 minutes from time.
“It could have been worse and it was maybe a bit flattering to us,” said Horgan about the 3-0 defeat. “I thought that we played relatively well. We were beaten by a far superior side.
“We defended well and they didn’t play through us. They scored two from corner kicks and we’re normally good at defending those. They could have scored a lot more.”
Shamrock Rovers, who finished third last season, have begun the new league campaign with two wins out of two and bring their full time first team squad to Ballybofey for the first time in eight seasons.
“It is difficult and I have tried to explain that,” Horgan said about having to face the Hoops on Monday so soon after Friday’s game against last season’s double winners.
“People don’t want to listen to me when I say that, but it is a savage league. Most of these players went to work the morning after Friday night’s game. They have work on Monday – we all have work on Monday – and then on Monday night they play Shamrock Rovers and all this minus three of our better players, who will be out long term.
“We knew what it was about and I just hope that people realise that they need to be very patient with us and support us through thick and thin – because it most certainly will be that.”
SHAMROCK ROVERS
Having beaten Sligo Rovers 2-0 on the opening night of the season, and earned another victory by the same scoreline on Friday night at home to Wexford Youths, the Hoops travel to the North West once again looking to make it three wins from three games. The most recent time they managed that feat at the start of the season was in 2011, the year they last lifted the title.
The Hoops first team has not visited the Ballybofey venue since the final match of the 2008 campaign – Rovers’ last game on the road that year before debuting in Tallaght the following season. The home team won the match 2-0 that night but that couldn’t prevent Harps from relegation. That was their final game in the top flight until this season.
While the Hoops have won both of their fixtures so far by two goals and kept a couple of clean sheets in the process, they haven’t dominated either game. Pat Fenlon will be hoping his team can step up their performance on a Finn Harps pitch that came in for some criticism from Derry City boss Kenny Shiels after his team’s loss to Harps on the opening night of the season.
The Hoops have secured their wins so far this season with late goals giving them their two goal cushion. Danny North scored in injury time in Sligo, following Brandon Miele’s stunning free kick opener in the first half.
North got his second of the season last Friday night, tapping home a saved Miele free kick against Youths on the hour mark before Gary McCabe confirmed the win with a penalty a minute from time.
McCabe is likely to continue to wear the captain’s armband with Stephen McPhail not quite back to match fitness. Gavin Brennan lined out for Rovers at left back against Youths and, with Luke Byrne still injured, and will likely do so again in Donegal.
Both Killian Brennan and Dean Clarke were forced off the pitch due to injury last Friday and are both doubtful for the game with manager Pat Fenlon rating them as 50/50.
Referee: Neil Doyle.
MATCH STATS
Monday’s game will be the 67th meeting of the two clubs, and the 35th to be played in Finn Park.
Harps have 20 wins, 13 at Finn Park, while Rovers have 30 wins but only nine of them have come in Ballybofey.
The last season the clubs played each other in the Premier Division was in 2008. Harps won two games against Rovers (both 2-0) with the remaining match, played at Finn Park, ending in a 1-1 draw.
BETTING
Finn Harps 7/1; Draw 3/1; Shamrock Rovers 2/5.
PREDICTION
1-0 away win.
Finn Harps
Injured: Barry Molloy, Sean Houston, Ciaran Coll.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Stephen McPhail, Luke Byrne.
Doubtful: Killian Brennan, Dean Clarke.
Suspended: None.
About Macdara Ferris
Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl …