'We just hit the self-destruct button': Finn Harps manager Darren Murphy

It was the chances spurned rather than the ones conceded that left Darren Murphy cutting the picture of frustration on Friday night.

Goals in a ten-minute spell by Sean Murray and Jaden Umeh saw Cork City carve out a 2-0 win over Finn Harps in Ballybofey.

Before Murray headed in the opener, Harps had the better of the chances the evening offered.

Patrick Ferry, Matthew Makinson, Sean O'Donnell and Noe Baba all had opportunities to give Harps the edge.

“The frustrating thing for them is that they didn't make the goalkeeper make a save,” Murphy told Donegal Live afterwards.

“They were all unmarked. They didn't have to challenge with anyone. They were clear-cut opportunities.

“In the big games, you have to have coolness and ruthlessness in the big moments. Cork had that and they showed their ruthless side. You will always create chance in a game of football, but it's about taking them in the big moments.

“The game is about chances. How you defend one 18-yard box and how you attack the other, nine times out of ten that determines how a game will end up.

“We attacked Cork's goalmouth very well. We missed some really good chances and we have to take that on the chin.”

Cork, the First Division leaders, were ahead when Murray broke the deadlock and Umeh – who has been target by, among others, Benfica – wrapped up the win with a cool finish.

“We just hit the self-destruct button while we were in the game,” Murphy sighed.

“We were the better side until that goal. It was an uphill battle after that.

“Cork scored four goals in Longford last week – and they all came from set pieces. We knew that they would be a threat.

“We dealt with it all evening and then our concentration slipped. In this game, you need to be fully focussed for a full 95 minutes. If you add the two goals together, it's a minute of mistakes in that 95 minutes.

“It's a hard defeat to take. We didn't actually have to defend really well. Outside of the goal from the set piece and then the mistake, Cork didn't cause us too many problems.”

Ryan Rainey hobbled off with a reoccurrence of an ankle injury to likely join an ever-lengthening absent list that includes David Cawley and Conor Tourish.

Murphy said: “The players that we are missing carry a wealth of experience. We competed very, very well against a top side, but the top sides will punish you.

“There is very little between the teams and you can see that with how bunched it is from second to ninth. Every game is competitive and we need the same performance, but more ruthlessness, next week.”