League Report: Finn Harps 1 - 0 Cabinteely

Another Michael Funston screamer was enough for Finn Harps to get back to winning ways against Cabinteely in the SSE Airtricity League First Division.

 

Funston scored a belter in May after only 16 seconds against Waterford United and then repeated the trick a week later at St Colman’s Park against Cobh Ramblers with Harps winning both fixtures 3-2.

 

Against Cabinteely, Funston picked up possession from a short free-kick from Gareth Harkin underneath the shadow of the stand and strode infield. Whilst everyone was presumably awaiting a cross, the visiting goalkeeper Evan Whelan among them, Funston let fly from almost 40 yards. It flew into the back of the net, with Whelan barely moving a muscle.

 

It was a goal that was badly needed for the home side, who after a 12-match unbeaten run at the start of the season, hadn’t a win since the aforementioned victory in Cobh and had lost their last three in the league.

 

It was the sort of win that tends to follow a poor run of form and in the end, the better side won.  

 



A minute shy of the half-hour, Harps had a lucky escape when Gerald Pender chipped Ciaran Gallagher from the edge of the penalty area only for the ball to rebound off the crossbar.

 

The chance originally came courtesy of the evasive running of Darren Clarke, who got around the outside of Ciaran Coll to cross into the area. It was the first real effort of the contest, which was smouldering without catching fire. Funston’s goal made it 1-0 at the break.

 

The hosts almost added a second six minutes into the second half when Whelan clawed away a Damien McNulty flick-on following a throw-in from Tony McNamee. The ball rebounded off Thomas McMonagle, who was closing in, and went harmlessly wide.

 



Cabinteely really should’ve levelled when the just introduced Karl Byrne couldn’t keep an effort down at the conclusion of a very untidy passage of play where Sodiq OGuntola could’ve pulled the trigger earlier.

 

Harps manager Ollie Horgan, who was suspended once again, wasn’t shy in letting his feelings known from the pressbox.

 

Funston could’ve made it 2-0 with only 16 minutes left when he headed just over from a Tagbo cross and McMonagle went close on a couple of occasions from corners.

 

A 1-0 lead is always a precarious one and Harps’ would’ve had memories of John McKeown grabbing an injury-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw the last time the sides met, which was at Stradbrook in May.

 

McNamee, from a corner kick, clipped the outside of the post but with Harps having their confidence dented a little in recent weeks, just wanted to get their campaign back on track. That’s what they managed. Just.  

 

 

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Damien McNulty, Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll; Josh Mailey, Michael Funston (Kieran McDaid 75), Tony McNamee, Raymond Foy, Gareth Harkin; Wilfried Tagbo (Nathan Boyle 82), Garbhan Friel (Kevin McHugh 67).

 

Cabinteely FC: Evan Whelan; Daniel Campbell, Victor Ekanem, Josh Quinlivan, Jamie McGlynn; Darren Clarke (Karl Byrne 65), Aaron Brilly (Stephen Dunne 77), Sodiq O Guntola, John McKeown, Stephen Hanley (Jamie Broderick 67); Gerald Pender.

 

Referee: Ben Connolly.