Finn Harps and Longford Town can’t be separated at Bishopsgate 

A dour SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division clash at Bishopsgate ended in a goalless draw between Longford Town and Finn Harps, a result that moves Kevin McHugh's side up to seventh in the table, while the Midlanders have moved off the foot of the table as they are now one point above Athlone Town.

The opening fifteen minutes produced very little action before Longford Town produced the first chance of the contest but Aaron Doran’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked out for a corner by Harps defender Olamipo Oduwa William.

Twelve minutes later, the visitors had their first opportunity. A corner whipped in from the right by Gavin McAteer found Joel Bradley-Walsh at the back post, but his shot on the stretch was straight at Town keeper Harry Halwax.

The poor quality of the fare on offer was perfectly demonstrated in the forty-fifth minute when Longford Town won three successive corners but Doran failed to clear the first defender each time.

In the only minute of additional time, Harps’ striker Gradi Lomboto fired a thirty-yard shot that sailed over the Longford bar.

Just like the first half, the first fifteen minutes of the second period produced very little excitement, but then, there were two chances in the space of sixty seconds on the hour mark.

A shot from inside the box by Longford captain Dean O’Shea was saved by Cooney in the Harps’ goal, and in the same minute, Harps won a free-kick on the half-way line on the right. McNamee spotted Longford stopper Halwax off his line, and his audacious effort skimmed the crossbar with Halwax stranded.

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The visitors had another chance in the sixty-fourth minute but William blazed his shot well over.

Longford substitute Mohammed Bodiaf had a shot blocked down on seventy-three minutes with O’Shea’s follow up from twenty-two yards out flashing just wide of the far post.

Harps should have taken the lead on seventy-nine minutes with a glorious opportunity. Man-of-the-match, McAteer raced down the left and the young sixteen-year-old delivered a perfectly weighted low cross that should have been tapped home by substitute Patrick Ferry two yards out from goal, but somehow, he kicked his own foot as the ball flew past him.

Longford Town: Harry Halwax; Osaze Irhue (Emmanuel Oluwafemi), Oisin Hand, Andy Spain, Dean O’Shea; Emre Topcu, Eric Yoro; Luke Wade-Slater, Aaron Doran (Mo Boudiaf, 71), Josh Giurgi; Darragh Murtagh (Francis Campbell, 71).

Finn Harps: Oisin Cooney; Joel Bradley Walsh, Josh Cullen, Kevin Jordan, Joel Thompson (Adam McDaid, 76); Gradi Lomboto (Patrick Ferry, 69), Gavin McAteer, Tony McNamee, William Olamipo Oduwa; Gavin Hodgins, Aaron McLaughlin.