Tommy Canning laments 'unacceptable' defeat as Finn Harps' play-off hopes fade

Assistant manager Tommy Canning says the manner of Finn Harps’ defeat to Wexford on Monday night was “unacceptable”.

Canning, speaking after a 3-1 loss at Finn Park that saw Wexford defender Dean Larkin head in a second-half hat-trick admits that Harps’ chance of nicking a play-off spot are now “slim at best”.

Harps led through Gavin McAteer’s 48th minute goal, but Larkin’s hat-trick hoisted Wexford above Harps into sixth - and within three points of fifth-placed Treaty United.

“Not good at all,” Canning sighed. “Not good is maybe an understatement. For a centre-half to get a hat-trick in that manner is unacceptable. If you’re looking to achieve anything and looking to push on, those things can’t happen. It’s not good. 

“To get a bit of a reputation for being soft on set plays in this division is a dangerous place to be. For some reason, we have found ourselves in that situation over the last few weeks when we weren’t like that at all. 

“We had a bit of pride in how we defended set plays. We had a bit of strength, power and determination and that has somehow disappeared.

“It didn’t even look like he had a lot to do to get on the end of them, or that he was powering them in or even jumping over the top of people; the third one he was standing on his own, three yards out with a small jump. That was hugely disappointing.”

In their last three First Division outings, Harps have taken the lead only to be pegged back. Harps have now taken just one point from a possible nine in those games. 

Canning said: “That has become a bit of a pattern…We need to find a way of kicking on when we go a goal up. 

“Once Wexford got the first goal, they saw a vulnerability and went for it.”

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The task for Harps doesn’t get any easier as they travel to face Cobh Ramblers, currently the side in second place, on Friday night at St Colman’s Park.

Canning said: “We have gone from having a real chance to us having to win at Cobh and win our two games here and hope that Treaty lose two. And Wexford are in the mix too.

"The chances are slim at best now. When you’re conceding goals like that, you don’t really deserve to be in a play-off spot. It’s not over, but I don’t know how much hope there is at the minute.”