Finn Harps held to home draw by Longford Town

Finn Harps were held to a fourth home draw of 2023 as Longford Town earned a share of the spoils in Ballybofey on Friday night.

Longford midfielder Aodh Dervin landed a brilliant strike late in the first half to cancel out Filip Da Silva’s opener for Harps.

In front of 1,306 at Finn Park, both sides had chances to win it, with Harps having the better moments in the second half when it was up for grabs.

Harps broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Ryan Flood’s corner dropped in the penalty area and Da Silva fired in his third goal of the season.

Flood might have doubled the lead for Dave Rogers’ Harps within two minutes, but Jack Brady, the Longford goalkeeper, saved low from the American, who was fed by Ellis Farrar, and the visitors scrambled to safety.

Longford leveled three minutes before the break as Dervin wonderfully finished from the edge of the area when his own corner kick was headed perfectly into his path by a Harps defender. It had taken a good save by Tim Hiemer to prevent Dervin from equalising with the effort that led to the corner.

Longford arrived in Ballybofey with just one win from the opening ten games of their campaign, but it was the Midlanders who had two big chances in the first quarter-of-an-hour.

First, Joshua Giurgi latched onto a ball over the top in the ninth minute and his cut-back was met by Jamal Ibrahim, whose first-timer from the edge of the box was taken off the goal-line by Daithi McCallion.

Five minutes later, Harps ‘keeper Hiemer reached out to superbly beat away Ibrahim’s header after Darragh Lynch recycled from a corner at the far post.

Hiemer was called into action again in the 21st minute and the German saved at his near post from Giurgi, who combined well with captain Shane Elworthy down the right channel.

Harps were stirred into action and Shane McMonagle rose to head inches over the top from a well-placed Keogh free. Keogh was thwarted by a fine save from Jack Brady soon after, the Grange man’s powerful effort turned around his left-hand post by the Longford goalkeeper.

Captain Keith Cowan was back in the Harps team for the first time since the corresponding future at Bishopsgate, a 1-0 win for the Donegal side six weeks ago. Caoimhin Porter and McCallion were also restored with Michael Harris, Okwuy Okwute and Kevin Jordan dropping to the bench.

Just after Dervin restored parity, Darragh Lynch wasn’t far off giving Longford the lead, his headed attempted deflecting behind.

Three minutes into the second half, the diving Farrar got on the end of a Flood free kick, delivered from just inside his own half.

On the hour, Keogh had a big chance to restore the Harps lead, but he side-footed wide after good work by Ryan Rainey, while Flood drove over from a good position a minute later.

In the dying moments, Rainey drove narrowly wide and neither side could muster a winner. Harps are back on home soil in Monday night with Athlone Town the visitors. 

Finn Harps: Tim Hiemer; Daithi McCallion, Keith Cowan (Michael Harris 80), Ellis Farrar; Caoimhin Porter (Katlego Mashigo 65), Noe Baba, Seamas Keogh, Ryan Rainey, Shane McMonagle (Okwuy Okwute h-t); Ryan Flood, Filip Da Silva.

Longford Town: Jack Brady: Shane Elworthy, Viktor Serdeniuk, Cian Byrne, Kyle O’Connor; Adam Verdon (Evan Farrell 90), Gary Armstrong (Ross Fay 75); Jamal Ibrahim (Mohammed Boudiaf 75), Aodh Dervin, Darragh Lynch (Stephen Meaney 66); Joshua Giurgi.

Referee: Paul Norton.