Departures from Finn Harps as Kevin McHugh begins to put his own stamp on things

Striker Dara McGuinness is among a handful of players who have left Finn Harps lately.

Manager Kevin McHugh has made good on his vow to shake things up in the transfer window.

McGuinness, who scored five goals in 14 games after arriving from Stoke City in January, is set to make a move to a club in the League of Ireland Premier Division.

The 21-year-old has a couple of suitors and will not feature again for Harps.

“Dara’s contract was up in June,” McHugh confirmed. “It was something similar to Joel Thompson. It was agreed before my time that Joel would go to Ballymena. 

“Dara and his agent have sat down and he wants to play in the Premier Division. There are two or three clubs interested in him.”

Gweedore native Patrick Ferry is also set to have a new employer. 

McHugh confirmed to Donegal Live that Ferry - who netted 11 goals in 67 games after arriving from Ballinamallard United in 2023 - has left Harps. 

Anto Dodd, who joined on loan from St Patrick’s Athletic, has not returned to Finn Park following the mid-season break and the midfielder, who made 12 appearances for Harps, is also eyeing up a new club.

Veteran midfielder David Cawley left in May and goalkeeper David Aziaya also bid farewell in recent months.

McHugh says there may be “one or two more” making an exit.

Left-back Kieran Cooney, a St Kitts and Nevis international signed from Notts County, was given a debut on Friday night in the 0-0 draw with Longford Town, while fellow new signings Oran Brogan and Idir Zerrouk were on the bench.

McHugh has confirmed the impending arrival of a new goalkeeper and says that a new number 9 is now a “priority”.

The Harps boss, who said he has “half an eye on 2026” with his transfer business, added: “If we get one, brilliant. If not, we’ll just keep plugging away.”

Glenfin teenager Seaghan McCormick became the latest youngster to be handed a debut when he came on in the closing moments of Friday’s game.

McHugh said: “Seaghan is another bit of quality from the academy. He has been flying for Russell (Porter) at the U20s and he probably didn’t expect to come in. He’s another local boy and I can see what it means to him; he’s buzzing.”

Harps were again indebted to young ‘keeper Corey Sheridan, who pulled off a super late save to thwart Daniel Norris and keep his fourth successive clean sheet.

McHugh said: “Corey has another clean sheet and a fantastic save late on. It was a big moment. If they had scored there, it was game over and we’d have got nothing out of the game. It was a massive save. We have to look at that moment and see why we were so open. We did throw bodies on at the time and gambled a bit so that can happen.

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“We had a couple of half-chances and we didn’t create enough. We didn’t show enough quality in the final third to get us across the line.

“I didn’t feel that Longford threatened us for 83 or 84 minutes, but then they ran over the top of us and they easily should have scored two goals. They will feel that they shouldn’t have won the game.”