Finn Harps leave Kerry empty-handed after narrow defeat at Mounthawk Park

Kerry FC have climbed to seventh place in the First Division after getting their first win of the season, Cian Murphy’s first half goal the difference between them and a Finn Harps side that did everything in the final 10 minutes but find the equaliser they came so close to snatching.

Having been hardly worked at all for the first 80 or so minutes, Kerry goalkeeper Harry Halwax had to make a serious of saves in the final 15 minutes as the home side had to withstand sustained pressure from the Ballybofey side whose three-game unbeaten run ended in Mounthawk Park.

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Kerry FC, Finn Harps, Cobh Ramblers and Wexford FC are bunched together on six points each, with the latter going to bottom side Longford Town on Saturday evening, but for Kerry this was a much needed victory that keeps them unbeaten in their last four games.

The only sour note on a dry, crisp evening in front of 498 spectators was the 95th minute dismissal of Vincent Borden, booked a second time for a late tackle in midfield as Kerry tried desperately to alleviate that late Harps pressure.

In more positive news, there was a debut for Cian Bargary who came on in the 70th minute for Finn Barrett, the Tipperary native finally shaking off the injury that kept him out of the first five games after signing from Cobh Ramblers.

Ryan Kelliher was a welcome sight on the Kerry bench also, and while he didn’t get playing minutes on Friday night, his presence on the team sheet suggests his return to action after an ACL injury could come next week away to Bray Wanderers.

The first half lacked any real flow or pattern, interrupted as it was by several stoppages for injuries, but the home side were arguably the slightly more dynamic and creative of the two in that opening 45 minutes.

Sean McGrath created some early momemtum for Kerry with a couple of forays forward, winning a free in the second minute that led to Borden cracking off a shot that took a slight deflection and into the grateful arms of Lorebzo Piaia Barbosa in the Harps goal.

In the eighth minute Harps carved out their first meaningful attack but when Alex-Mathis Fanle Tiego crossed for Aaron McLaughlin, the latter’s header was well wide of Halwax’s goal.

A minute later Kerry got Murphy into a good position on the edge of the 18-yard box and Harps needed Oran Brogan to intervene with a good block to deny the Tipperary man getting his shot on target.

The next 15 minutes produced little by way of meaningful goalmouth action, but then the breakthrough came in the 24th minute and it was a thing of beauty. Some patient play from the home side eventually got the ball into Eric Koufie down the left flank and his teasing cross to the edge of the small parallelogram was met with perfect timing by Murphy to push the ball past Barbosa in the Harps goal.

On 40 minutes Harps made a rare venture into the Kerry box, and after a couple of ricochets, which included Halwax taking a bit of a clatter, Temiloluwa Ajibola swiped at the loose ball and hit the post with his shot before an under pressure Kerry defence cleared the danger.

The last few minutes of the half saw Koufie’s shot blocked down by Conor Tourish, and at the other end Gavin McAteer worked a neat short corner with McLaughlin for the former to try shape a shot off the outside of his boot but his effort was always moving away from the goal.

Finn Harps started the second half with a little more purpose with McLaughlin getting into an advanced position down the right side but twice his cross into the box was behind his team mates lining up for the ball.

A couple of Harps corners then needed to be defended by Kerry before the home side created a fine chance from their own corner in the 55th minute. Finn Barrett flighted ball into the box was flicked on by Niall Brookwell to Borden just outside the box, but his fine effort was just wide of Barbosa’s left-hand post with the Harps goalkeeper mighty relieved to see the ball head for the burger stand behind the goal.

A few minutes later Bradley-Walsh tried his luck from about 15 yards but he screwed his shot well wide.

The game opened up somewhat for the final 30 minutes, but neither side could create any clearcut chances until Halwax had to make one smart save on 85 minutes to push away Toiurish’s downward header that was on target.

Thereafter it was all Harps who flooded the Kerry half as they sensed an equaliser might have been there for the taking. Bradley-Walsh was denied by the post when he whipped a brilliant free kick from 25 yards out off the timber with Halwax beaten.

The Kerry no.1 was equal to the task to tip Josh Cullen’s looping header over the crossbar, and though Harps piled on the pressure the Kerry defence stood firm to hang of for victory.

Kerry FC: Harry Halwax, Finn Barrett (Cian Bargary, 70), Niall Brookwell, Kilian Cantwell, Jonas Hakkinen, Kieran Cooney, Sean McGrath (Aaran Healy, 90), Vincent Borden, Ewan Lee, Eric Koufie (Luke Palmer, 77), Cian Murphy. 

Finn Harps: Lorebzo Piaia Barbosa, Josh Cullen, Conor Tourish, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Alex-Mathis Fanle Tiego (Idir Yacine Zerrouk, 63), Oran Brogan (Odhran McHugh, 80), Aaron McLaughlin (Adam McDaid, 71), Tony McNamee, Gavin McAteer, Nathan Lumingo (Max Johnston, 80), Temiloluwa Ajibola (Shaunie Bradley, 80). 

Referee: John Sconnie Walsh