Finn Harps Thread

overshoot

Thought id try opening a Harps thread here (donegal forum version) seen as the new Donegal thread in the GAA forum has a bit more life to it than the one in the Donegal forum.

Top of the league, 11 goals in the last 3 games from 7 different players, 3/3 clean sheets in the league. Sure why not pop down to Finn Park this Saturday for the Galway game. (Ollie Horgan has an Irish School Boys international on Friday so change from the usual)



Galway have failed to score in the league this year and Harps to concede yet with players like Ryan Connolly, Vinny Faherty, Gary Shanaghan, Ryan Manning (great prospect) and Jason Molloy it wont be an easy job to keep the stats that way.

Harps have been without McCarron and McHugh who last year scored all Harps' league goals until mid season for the last 2 games but despite their absence have netted 8 goals. Young American Pat McCann who joined towards the end of last season looking particularly impressive in midfield now that he has fully settled and aided by new additions Carol Tiofack and pacey Sligo loanee Ruairi Keating, they have been particularly troublesome for opposition defences.

So far its been great to see the general attitude on the pitch, constant support of the man on the ball, people making runs to provide options and the challenging the opposition for the ball on whatever part of the pitch and generally getting stuck, its something that has been severely lacking bar the odd one off performance for the last few years. Thats half the battle, especially at first division level if we can do this consistently over the year we will be right up there. Galway will provide a real test of where we are at.

Harps also awaiting clearance on Caoimhin Bonner who will add another option in defence, he was released by Kilmarnock in January

Harps Official Preview
Galway Advertiser Preview (supporters bus mentioned in link)
Extratime Preview

Kick off v Galway at Finn Park, Saturday 7.45
(back to our usual friday nights for wexford in 2 weeks time)

hjkl

This will be a very quiet thread.


EDIT- Just after I post that I'm wondering, how is the new stadium coming along? If ye come up will ye be playing in Stranolar next year, or would we all have to endure the glorified cabbage patch that is Finn Park?

Oat23

Ruairi Keating seems to have made a decent start on loan from ourselves?

overshoot

frimpong wrote: »

This will be a very quiet thread.


EDIT- Just after I post that I'm wondering, how is the new stadium coming along? If ye come up will ye be playing in Stranolar next year, or would we all have to endure the glorified cabbage patch that is Finn Park?

well cheers for the bump

movement at last this year, few pics on the website heres one

and there was a lovely big blue crane put up 2 or 3 weeks ago, havnt been past in the daytime to have a look in since tho.
cant imagine we would be in for the start of next season, while possible to get the stand built i doubt the pitch would be ready unless its planted over the summer.... and the traditional progress would also suggest otherwise anyway!

Oat23 wrote: »

Ruairi Keating seems to have made a decent start on loan from ourselves?

yea good hard worker, not afraid to take his man on, has 2 in 4 and been involved in the build up to plenty of others, although could maybe trust himself a bit more to shoot when given half a chance, he could have more and will learn plenty from mcHugh. you should release him immediately

harpstilidie

Looking forward to tomorrow's game. Hoping I can make it as I'm not feeling the best.

Think we can get another victory although Galway are due a big performance. On paper they probably have the better side but they've had trouble finding the net so hopefully that will continue!

Keating has been superb so far.

overshoot

frimpong wrote: »

This will be a very quiet thread.


EDIT- Just after I post that I'm wondering, how is the new stadium coming along? If ye come up will ye be playing in Stranolar next year, or would we all have to endure the glorified cabbage patch that is Finn Park?

seems i replied a day too early

Finn Harps Schools Facebook album
Seems to be the full lower structural works for the main stand in place

quite looking forward to tomorrow too, strange feeling this optimism

Mr_A

Coming up to the game tomorrow night, looking forward to it. Travelling with the Galway fans so hope to feck we get the win!

dfx-

..particularly if you intend travelling back with them:)

hjkl

overshoot wrote: »

seems i replied a day too early

Finn Harps Schools Facebook album
Seems to be the full lower structural works for the main stand in place

quite looking forward to tomorrow too, strange feeling this optimism

Good to see work happening. Whats the final plan like? I remember back in the boom hearing that they planned to build a 7,000 seater. I assume it's a much sensible, realistic plan now?

overshoot

frimpong wrote: »

Good to see work happening. Whats the final plan like? I remember back in the boom hearing that they planned to build a 7,000 seater. I assume it's a much sensible, realistic plan now?

Same plan, just not all going up, main stand & attached clubhouse, move in. c2000 capacity
work on opposite stand then started... aim is 3 or 4 years i think, capacity up to 4,000
the 2 stands behind the nets are 'down the line' which would bring it to 6,600

Harps paying very little if anything, grant money & transfer of Finn Park to the contractor although at this stage im guessing thats complete at the 2 main stands. Thats why it was so important to save the club when in bother a few years ago, the grant money was for the Finn Harps co-op and couldnt be transferred to a new entity, if it failed all failed.

Stands will be very similar to the one in Athlone, poor quality but hard to find this online

Kerrydude1981

What's always amazed me is how Finn Harps have managed to keep going,they cant even keep an U19 LOI team going down here in Kerry,travel costs and sponsorship always seem to be the problem.Being from Donegal Finn Harps must face these struggles as well?

Fair play to all involved in keeping it going.

Col200sx

All the best tomorrow night lads, Galway FC season ticket holder here.

We're playing well, good passing and movement, but finishing is a big problem. Although solid in defence.

I reckon it'll be a tight game.

Mint Sauce

overshoot wrote: »

Thought id try opening a Harps thread here (donegal forum version) seen as the new Donegal thread in the GAA forum has a bit more life to it than the one in the Donegal forum.

TBH, always enjoyed browsing the FH thread on the Donegal Forum. Maybe I should try starting a Sligo Rovers Thread.

Good luck with his one though, and glad to see work moving along on the new ground.

overshoot

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

What's always amazed me is how Finn Harps have managed to keep going,they cant even keep an U19 LOI team going down here in Kerry,travel costs and sponsorship always seem to be the problem.Being from Donegal Finn Harps must face these struggles as well?

Fair play to all involved in keeping it going.

plenty of fire fighting over the years!
to be honest, when going well we get good crowds, even despite being dreadful last year and well of the pace we had the second highest average attendance in D1. shortest trip 2 1/2 hours tho!
u19 is easy, 2 other donegal teams & sligo & derry in the northern section!

thought tralee dynamos had a good chance of making the step tho, A championship is a big loss imo, the jump from local to national league is too big a risk for any perspective new clubs

Col200sx wrote: »

All the best tomorrow night lads, Galway FC season ticket holder here.

We're playing well, good passing and movement, but finishing is a big problem. Although solid in defence.

I reckon it'll be a tight game.

cheers, same to you. yea surprised galway havnt scored yet... only a matter of time and when ye start...
we have been good defensively as a team but im unsure of your old keeper Conor Winn for a big man he could command the box and push himself around better.

Mint Sauce wrote: »

TBH, always enjoyed browsing the FH thread on the Donegal Forum. Maybe I should try starting a Sligo Rovers Thread.

Good luck with his one though, and glad to see work moving along on the new ground.

thanks lad, always notice ya lurking thread in the sligo forum has been quiet, just as the season started too! i figure no harm, and when theres constantly 150 or so soccer fans online here it may generate more interest than the few in the local forums... and be better promotion than the fix our league threads....

Kerrydude1981

overshoot wrote: »

plenty of fire fighting over the years!
to be honest, when going well we get good crowds, even despite being dreadful last year and well of the pace we had the second highest average attendance in D1. shortest trip 2 1/2 hours tho!
u19 is easy, 2 other donegal teams & sligo & derry in the northern section!

thought tralee dynamos had a good chance of making the step tho, A championship is a big loss imo, the jump from local to national league is too big a risk for any perspective new clubs

Ya Dynamos did look like they were best placed to make a go of things,but then the A Championship ended so that was that,they now play in the Kerry District League again,hopefully sometime down the road we will have a LOI team of some form down here.

Ye have been blessed with some great strikers during the years,Jonathan Speak and Kevin McHugh who I see is still a part of the first team.

overshoot

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Ya Dynamos did look like they were best placed to make a go of things,but then the A Championship ended so that was that,they now play in the Kerry District League again,hopefully sometime down the road we will have a LOI team of some form down here.

Ye have been blessed with some great strikers during the years,Jonathan Speak and Kevin McHugh who I see is still a part of the first team.

yea i really want it brought back, D1 fully converted to it, no 19k entry fee, let the B teams in (even we field a ulster senior league team, most premier clubs do too). you might stretch 8 team northern/southern sections and travel costs are down, the the clubs main teams in the cups and you have a proper transitional step on the ladder.

something we have always been blessed with, mcHugh (joint 5th on the all time list now) has lost a bit more pace this year but still got the touch & mcCarron is very good too,
Gethins before him is back in scotland altho only playing in the Highland league, 101 goals in 101 games a few weeks ago (2 in game 101, failed to score in his 100th game)
Speak before him, then Con McLoughlin and Brendan Bradley (harps piece) still sits top of the LOI charts, i have in my head 181 of his 235 goals were for us. says it all when 3rd on the all time list is on 182!

8 hours til kick off in Finn Park

CSF

Why is the match on a Saturday this week?

overshoot

CSF wrote: »

Why is the match on a Saturday this week?

Irish Schoolboys game v England last night, finished 3-3 in Brighton. Horgan manages the team. The only other game i can see thats on a saturday is the final game of the season v Longford

I see Ryan Manning mentioned as a goal scorer, hopefully Horgan made him play the full 90 and tired him out for today

overshoot

Finished 1-1 in front of a crowd of 757 which was probably a fair result.
Galway had o'Brien sent off early (didnt see it even though i was close, taller people in the way!) He is supposed to have gone in from behind on Doc and then started shouting at him that he never touched him. 1 yellow for the tackle 1 for dissent but i thought the ref reached for a straight red.

Galway had started the brighter but harps might have just got back on top the before the sending off. Galway upped the work level after that and Harps never made use of the extra man, or looked like they had one!
Tiofack, Tommy Bonner had very poor games, funston not great either. Keating really suffered from a lack of support today and looked frustrated by the end, another yellow so he has definitely reached his quota for a day off.

Faherty's goal was a peach, nice curling effort from distance that Winn could do nothing about. McVeigh who gave us a bit more options up top when he came on stabbed home a scrappy equalizer. Josh Mailey made a big difference when he came on too, should be starting ahead of Tommy bonner next week imo. We really should have pressed on when we equalised with 15 minutes to go, took the foot of the gas and let galway back in. Looked quite tired to be honest in the final minutes.

Ref was decent, actually capable of playing an advantage rule which is always a pleasant surprise!

Also shame Keating didnt score about 5minutes half time, lovely long ball forward to tiofack who put in a excellent cross, hit a smashing volley but unfortunately the galway keeper was in the right place to make a smashing save.

Kerrydude1981

overshoot wrote: »

Finished 1-1 in front of a crowd of 757 which was probably a fair result.
Galway had o'Brien sent off early (didnt see it even though i was close, taller people in the way!) He is supposed to have gone in from behind on Doc and then started shouting at him that he never touched him. 1 yellow for the tackle 1 for dissent but i thought the ref reached for a straight red.

Galway had started the brighter but harps might have just got back on top the before the sending off. Galway upped the work level after that and Harps never made use of the extra man, or looked like they had one!
Tiofack, Tommy Bonner had very poor games, funston not great either. Keating really suffered from a lack of support today and looked frustrated by the end, another yellow so he has definitely reached his quota for a day off.

Faherty's goal was a peach, nice curling effort from distance that Winn could do nothing about. McVeigh who gave us a bit more options up top when he came on stabbed home a scrappy equalizer. Josh Mailey made a big difference when he came on too, should be starting ahead of Tommy bonner next week imo. We really should have pressed on when we equalised with 15 minutes to go, took the foot of the gas and let galway back in. Looked quite tired to be honest in the final minutes.

Ref was decent, actually capable of playing an advantage rule which is always a pleasant surprise!

Also shame Keating didnt score about 5minutes half time, lovely long ball forward to tiofack who put in a excellent cross, hit a smashing volley but unfortunately the galway keeper was in the right place to make a smashing save.

Derek O Brien sent off??

Mr_A

Yeah. I was was quite close to it but it mystified me to be honest. But as said above I think it was as much about the reaction as the tackle. Very odd.

Not a great game and we struggled to get our attacking game going. Happy enough with the point, especially as we're still top. Massive test away to Shelbourne next- especially if McHugh doesn't make it.

overshoot

looks like we are gonna be without our main 3 strikers tomorrow! hopefully McVeigh chips in with another tho! In fairness 8 different scorers so far would give a hell of a lot more confidence in someone popping up with a goal compared to last year.

also time to break out the student card again! like hell im paying 15! :pac:

dan1895

Many of you lot coming down to Tolka? Student cards and all.

overshoot

few car loads, attempt at a bus failed, hazzard of the size of the county. different routes to dublin depending on the part your in.
few around dublin, might gather 50 of us but thats probably a stretch

Mr_A

Very tough fixture with so many attacking players missing. Horgan seems intent on keeping things tight and even went so far as to say he'd fear for us if we concede early. He certainly likes to play things down!

Mr_A

3rd v 2nd at Finn Park tonight as Harps take on Wexford.

Match preview here: http://www.finnharps.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1295:wexford-the-visitors-to-finn-park-on-friday-as-harps-look-to-restore-winning-ways&catid=29:senior-fixtures&Itemid=91

Wexford have a habit of doing well at Finn Park and seem to be in fine fettle this season. We're still missing most of our strike force but have Keating back which is a boost.

Hopefully a decent crowd as this is our only home game this month.

The club's AGM also takes place this weekend: http://www.finnharps.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1285:notice-of-agm-of-finn-harps-co-operative-society-limited&catid=39:news-from-finn-park&Itemid=101

While work continues on the new Finn Park: http://www.finnharps.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1296:new-stadium-update-grounds-for-optimism&catid=39:news-from-finn-park&Itemid=101

overshoot

that will have to do for previews, had ambitions of writing short bits a la the first post but i think work/college has put an end to that!

good interview with NcNulty here whos been one of our best performers this year imo.

big game tonight, need to win it if we are to keep pushing on after the draws with waterford & galway. gotta start picking up home wins against the challengers although a draw certainly isnt a disaster.

starting to get a bit wary of sligo recalling keating in the summer too with maguire and odihambo not going well. hopefully north gets up to speed soon!

overshoot

well that was a frustrating night, never a red (or 1 each if it was) and a blatant handball before their free which got the goal.
just to quote extratime's report

Harps played the entire second half with ten men following the controversial dismissal of Keith Cowan in the 43rd minute after an incident involving Danny Furlong.

Having being fouled by Cowan just in front of the Harps dugout, Furlong reacted and the players both had hands raised, with Furlong going to the deck. It seemed a theatrical reaction from the Wexford man.

on the plus side, good to see horgan go and chase the game even with 10 men. made the changes and they paid off, id rather lose 2-0 going for it than settle for 1-0.
Caoimhin Bonner made a good debut, (lots of bonners in the squad now :pac:) small but he can jump and quicker than mailey, cowan and mcnulty too, so looks like a good addition. should be a grand replacement for cowan. great header to clear of the line too when Winn left himself in no mans land. i think its time for Patton to get a run, his kickouts have been dreadful.

good to see mcCarron back too, might not get stuck in as much while he is the man in the Iron Mask (all other jokes welcome) but still a big plus to have on the pitch. made a good impact
attendance about 500

Mr_A

A wee bit on the AGM: http://donegalnews.com/2014/04/new-finn-harps-stadium-will-be-complete-before-club-moves-agm-told/

Small profit for last year plus more on the ground move. Generally positive but we still have too few people trying to do everything.

overshoot

Home to Shams tonight, without a doubt a must win after the last few results.
Horgan seems certain to make changes too, hopefully Winn is one, he has flapped at a few too many for me. Patton deserves a chance and James Gallagher is registered as a player also.

Also im sure you have seen him at every ground at this stage, usually with the drum, Nigel taking the mass of hair off next weekend, half the money raised to Harps, half to the cancer bus. 4 bands on the night as well.

overshoot

big blow ahead of Shels as James Doherty has left the club

James Doherty said: “After so many years here naturally I am disappointed to be leaving, but I felt I had to be honest with myself and the club. I am a player who likes to give 100% dedication and my work and personal situation doesn’t allow for that at the moment. I would like to thank everyone at Finn Harps for the great experience I have, and I intend to be a regular visitor at Finn Park when I can. I would also like to say that I feel Ollie & James and staff have put together the most professional training and preparation regime I have seen at the club, and I hope everyone will give them their backing over the coming seasons.”

big loss & have to wish him well, altho wish he lasted another match!

on another note Harps have changed the personal facebook page into a likes page. Up to 6000likes in a few hours aint bad going (even if the starting point was 5000) All the old posts seem to have been lost though.

Now if we can just get em all through the gate! Big game on Friday and found some form too seemingly unlucky to have just the 4pts from 2 away games. We may finally have the 3 strikers, McHugh, McCarron & Keating all fit for the first time this season too, a nice improvement on the last Shels game were the one game where we didnt have any of them.

overshoot

may as well do an update
45 years to the day since the club played its first LOI game v shams.
club historian (bramsay11) tweeting the matchday program.... lets not mention the score! Finished 7 or 14 that season
Athlone who joined with us finished 10th


On the football front, 8 games undefeated or 1 defeat in 14 still leaves us with some play off homes. 6pts to make up in 6 games.
Loftus's First and Second goals friday nights 2-0 win in waterford (via Harps facebook). not bad for his debut! but the defending was woeful!
16 year old Oisin Hasset also made his, heard good things about the lad.

Josh Mailey and Kevin McHugh's strikes v Wexford have some decent play

and no harm in showing Sean McCarron's beauty v shels again

and stadium pic from about 2 weeks ago