St Patrick's Athletic come good late on to see off Finn Harps

A goal from Jack Scott from all of six inches followed by an own goal from Mark Anthony McGinley proved the difference between Finn Harps and St Patrick’s Athletic in Ballybofey.

Finn Harps 0
St Patrick's Athetic 2

When Scott scored on 66 minutes, it looked like a serious case of smash-and-grab, only for the second to put the stamp on it when Eoin Doyle's header came back off the post and in off the unfortunate Harps goalkeeper. The win moves St Pat’s to nine points, level at the top with Shamrock Rovers and only behind on goals scored. 

Until that first goal, the hosts had been the side pressing before McGinley, who was slightly wrong-footed, got a weak hand on an Ian Bermingham shot as he tried to regain his stance and move to the other side. The ball struck the inside of the post and rolled across the line with Scott it was who gleefully slammed home.

Harps continued to have chances. Not taking them was always going to leave susceptibility though, and 12 minutes from the end, a straightforward Chris Forrester free-kick into the area ended up in the net. 

Tim Clancy’s Drogheda United were the only top-flight side Harps failed to beat last season, although their 3-1 success over St Pat’s last August came courtesy of a Tunde Owolabi hat-trick. The Belgian was back in Ballybofey, crammed onto the visitors’ bench.

Yoyo Mahdy headed a fifth-minute Ryan Connolly header over the crossbar with the only real half-chance of the opening quarter. 

Ollie Horgan might’ve cobbled a squad together from here, there and everywhere over the course of the close season. The same level of commitment, even with so many new faces, remains from their predecessors, a dozen of which left for pastures new over the winter.

Then, on 31 minutes, Dave Webster struck the base of Joseph Anang’s goalpost when a Connolloy corner was only half-cleared and following another ineffective attempt at getting it away, the Harps captain couldn’t keep his half-volley down. 

Anang, the West Ham loanee, then made a simple stop from Filip Mihaljević’s header from a deep Ethan Boyle cross, whilst at that stage, McGinley  had still a save of note to make. Boyle did have to be alert late in the half to poke the ball away from  Doyle in the penalty area.

The hosts - who went into the contest looking for a first win of the season - certainly edged the first 45 minutes. St Pat’s won two and lost two so far this term and their opening half as the fog came down by the Finn did little to iron out those inconsistencies.

Mahdy was slipped in by Barry McNamee five minutes into the second half, opting to go low at the neat post and Anang made a fuss-free save. Mihaljević then got in one-on-one following a defensive slip and, with the home crowd drawing their breath, was denied by Anang’s best save yet. 

Out-of-sorts perhaps they were, but St Pat’s were still level where it mattered most and with the contest becoming more stretched, managed to grab the opening goal from Scott. They nearly grabbed a second just two minutes later, when Forrester got onto a Doyle pass and steered wide. 

That would’ve been rough justice on Harps, who might’ve got level through Ryan Rainey’s headed effort in a crowded penalty area when Connolly had put in the corner. However, as it was, the second goal would be one for the guests from Inchicore, which killed the contest there and then.

Former Letterkenny Rovers player, James Abankwah, made a late appearance for St Pat's late on. He will leave for Udinese come summer.

Finn Harps: Mark Anthony McGinley; Ryan Rainey, Ethan Boyle, Dave Webster, José Carrillo; Ryan Connolly, Élie Gael N'zeyi (Mark Timlin 74), Barry McNamee; Yoyo Mahdy (Jesse Devers 83), Bastien Héry (Eric McWoods 67); Filip Mihaljević.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Ian Bermingham;Jack Scott (James Abankwah 81), Chris Forrester, Adam O’Reilly, Anto Breslin; Darragh Burns (Tunde Owolabi 67), Mark Doyle (Ronan Coughlan 86); Eoin Doyle (Jamie McClelland 86). 

Referee: Adriano Reale.