Late, late drama sees Bray Wanderers snatch equaliser as Finn Harps share points

Finn Harps were pegged back right at the death as Cian Curtis headed home for Bray Wanderers deep into eight minutes of injury time in Ballybofey to split the points.

With Storm Floris rattling the north west for most of the day, things eased somewhat approaching kickoff in Ballybofey.

Harps deservingly led at the break thanks to captain Tony McNamee and things got even better when a Jamie Duggan own goal seven minutes after the restart doubled that advantage.

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Bray pulled one back through Paul Murphy on 70 minutes and despite the visitors turning the screw down the stretch, Harps seemed like they were just about to hold on for three big points.

But a late Bray corner from Max Murphy was glanced home by Curtis as Kevin McHugh was left to rue that late and costly lapse in concentration. 

Six minutes had originally been signalled by the fourth official but with some stoppages interrupting that,  an extra two had to be endured. 

And it was because of that that the home side's desperate and late resolve was finally beaten. 

Harps went down 2-1 away to Wexford on Friday night while the visitors, joint second in the standings prior to kick-off, had a hard-earned 3-2 home win over Treaty United the same evening.

The hosts opened on the front foot but an early McNamee free kick from out wide got caught in the stiff breeze and didn’t trouble the Bray defence.

A good run down the right from Gradi Lomboto then earned McNamee the chance to send one of his trademark long throws into Jimmy Corcoran’s area.

But in his effort to connect with that delivery, Joel Bradley Walsh was adjudged to have impeded the Wanderers netminder.

Eight minutes in and with Hans Mpongo turning Jamie Duggan one way and then the next, the Harps man was so unlucky to see that brilliantly engineered chance turned behind.

From the resulting corner, Josh Cullen headed straight at Corcoran. Still, on 12 minutes, Harps made the breakthrough their early endevour deserved.

A long dispatch from Lorenzo Piaia wasn’t dealt with by the Bray rearguard and with McNamee sensing the opportunity, the skipper brilliantly lobbed over the stranded Corcoran and into the net.

It took until the 20-minute mark for Paul Heffernan’s outfit to mount any real offence into the home defensive third and even then, Harps comfortably dealt with a pair of Max Murphy corners.

On the half hour mark Rhys Bartley did get sight of goal in on the left-hand side but Kieran Cooney did really well to telegraph the danger and get across.

With Bray now beginning to find their feet, it took alert defending from Conor Tourish to divert away a dangerous Justin Ferizaj delivery, again coming down that left-hand flank.

Four minutes out from the break and a Bradley Walsh free kick was fizzed into the area that Corcoran did well to deal with.

Bray pressed late in the half but all they could muster was an effort from outside the area by Cian Doyle that he blazed well over the crossbar.

Straight after the restart, Mpongo got in behind the Bray defence and while he got his shot away was called back for offside.

Up the other side, Cian Curtis brought a fine save out of Barbosa while Killian Cantwell headed over from the corner.

On 52 minutes Harps grabbed the most fortuitous of seconds when a Bradley Walsh free kick from deep was haplessly headed into his own net by Duggan.

The home side continued to keep the visitors at a comfortable arm’s length but going into the final 20 minutes, Bray halved the deficit.

Barbosa had to initially turn behind Curtis’ effort but with Paul Murphy powering home Max Murphy’s corner, what had appeared a comfortable foothold for the hosts was suddenly slipping.

Moments later, Piaia produced a quite stunning save as replacement Guillermo Almirall looked to volley home from just inside the area.

Bray continued to press hard for a leveller and Rhys Bartley was so unlucky to see his spectacular effort from outside the box crack back off the crossbar.

Having survived that pressure though, Harps regained their composure in the final ten eight minutes into the red Curtis pouncved. 

Finn Harps: Lorenzo Piaia; Josh Cullen, Conor Tourish, Joel Bradley Walsh; Kieran Cooney, Max Hutchison, Tony McNamee, Gavin McAteer (Oran Brogan, 83), Idir Zerrouk; Gerald Lomboto, Hans Mpongo (Gavin Gilmore, 76).

Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran; Max Murphy, Killian Cantwell, Jamie Duggan (Rhys Knight, 85), Paul Murphy; Rhys Bartley, Sean Brennan, Cian Doyle (Richie Ferizaj, 64), Justin Ferizaj (Guillermo Almirall, 64); Billy O’Neill (Christiano Bramley, 85), Cian Curtis.

Referee: Mark Lynch