Kevin McHugh looking to make home form count for Finn Harps

With Finn Harps playing back-to-back home games over the next two weeks in the First Division, manager Kevin McHugh is looking to get points on home soil.

The Harps are home on Friday night against Wexford, with Treaty United making the journey North the week after, and it’s an important couple of games for the Ballybofey-based side.

“We know what Wexford are going to bring,” McHugh said.

“They’ve invested heavily in their squad, and we’ll have to be up and at it in every single department to get something out of the game.

“We’re hoping to get a big crowd in behind us because we’re trying to build something as a team, and we have a good blend within the team.

“We know it is going to be tough, but we want to make our home games count, and we’ll set a game plan out to go and try to win the game.”

The Harps have four points from their opening three games, after losing their opener away to Athlone Town, before beating UCD in their first home game.

And after six defeats in a row away to Cobh Ramblers since their return to the second tier in 2023, they took a draw in St Colman’s Park last Friday as Nathan Lumingo equalised after Kai O’Neill’s first-half stoppage-time goal gave the hosts the lead.

“I think a point was a fair result, in the end, we could have won it, and they could have won it, it was end-to-end, and as staff we’re really pleased with the teams' approach to the game.

“It’s well documented about the long journey on the one day, and we’re sitting on a bus for basically 11/12 hours, so it can be difficult.

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“But there was no excuse from the boys, they got on with the game with the right mentality, and we stood up to a lot of the stuff Cobh threw at us.

“We were unfortunate to concede just ten seconds before half-time, but we reacted very well to that, and we went again in the second half, and the three subs coming on gave us that extra energy we needed at that time, and we deserved the equaliser

“Either team could have won it, but either team is probably happy with the point.”

The side picked up a couple of knocks on the astro turf surface in Cobh, while Tony McNamee didn’t feature.

But McHugh will assess his squad on Thursday night at training and prepare for the match as he praises the likes of his captain McNamee and the experience in his squad that have impressed in the opening games of the season in a division with little margin for error.

“We know the standard of the First Division has gone way up, and there are no gimmes anymore in the League of Ireland, unlike ten years ago, where you might have had three or four teams that struggled.

“Everybody has invested into their squads and have experienced and quality players throughout their teams.

“The standards have risen, and we've tried to close the gaps any way we can to keep up with everyone else, and I think we’ve done that.

“As a club we sometimes talk a lot about our academy graduates and younger players who have stepped up over the last while, but I think as a staff and a club we have to take a look at the more experienced players we have in the likes of (Conor) Tourish and Tony (McNamee) and Max Hutchison who are really starting to step up and set the standards.

“These players would walk on at any team in the country, and any team would be happy to have them, and that allows the younger players to go and play with that bit of freedom.

“That will be needed this Friday night again.”