Athlone Town hand Finn Harps the Bank Holiday blues

Haitian striker Frantz Pierrot struck twice in the first half to send Athlone Town on their way to a comfortable win over Finn Harps on Monday evening.

Finn Harps 1 Athlone Town 4

Pierrot’s double was topped off by second-half goals from Haji Abdikadir and Valerii Dolia as Harps crashed to a heavy home loss.

Until Pierrot netted from the spot with his second, Harps had some decent passages without troubling Vladi Velikin in the visitors’ goal.

In spite of a bright start to the second half, Athlone put the game to rest with two goals in a four-minute spell.

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First, Abdikadir prodded home from a corner 20 minutes from the end and the goal of the game came when Dolia let fly to give Hiemer no chance.

The game was already well gone from their grasp by the time Filip Da Silva flicked in a consolation goal in the final minute.

Harps manager Dave Rogers had to watch from home after being hit with a vomiting bug overnight. Assistant manager Darren Murphy stepped in to take charge of the side.

It was a difficult night at the office for the youthful Harps, and the majority of the 1,221 in attendance, against a physically-imposing Athlone, who had beaten Harps 3-1 in February at Lissywollen.

Pierrot netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 home win over Wexford on Friday and the pacy frontman’s confidence was high as he broke the deadlock in the 12th minute. A long ball by Jack Kavanagh gave Pierrot a run and after building a head of steam, the striker shot across Tim Hiemer into the far corner.

Athlone doubled their lead through a 34th minute penalty. Shane McMonagle was dispossessed and Aaron Connolly’s deflected shot bounced onto the hand of the unfortunate Seamas Keogh. Pierrot smashed past Hiemer from the spot kick.

In between times, Athlone goalkeeper Vladi Velikin reacted quickly when dispossessed by the rampaging Michael Harris in the area. Velikin flung himself on the ball just as the Convoy man was eyeing up a first goal in Harps’ colours.

Six minutes before half-time, Harps had a let off as Jamar Campion-Hinds arrowed narrowly wide from the right-hand edge of the penalty area. With Hiemer beaten, Finn Park breathed a sigh of relief as the attempt flew just past the post.

The margins were fine too when Matthew Leal fired a delicious curler over the top with half-time nearing.

Harps were without Caoimhin Porter and Keith Cowan through injuries with the former having been carried off during Friday’s 1-1 draw with Longford Town. Cowan had only just returned to the starting XI on Friday, but the captain was forced to miss out on the second game of the Bank Holiday weekend.

Harps began the second half on a positive footing and Katlego Masigo - who was restored to the team along with Michael Harris - was just inches from pulling a goal back, his effort fizzing past the target.

The hosts suffered a blow when vice captain Ryan Rainey had to be helped off after a heavy challenge by Campion-Hinds in the 59th minute.

After Hiemer saved well to deny Pierrot a second treble in four days, Athlone added a third from the corner. Kavanagh’s set piece was met at the back post by the unmarked Patrick Hickey and Abdikadir turned home from close range.

Dolia added the cherry with a superb fourth, cracking in from 20 yards and Da Silva's late strike was too late to make a difference.

Finn Harps: Tim Hiemer; Ellis Farrar (Sean O’Donnell 67), Daithi McCallion, Shane McMonagle; Seamos Keogh, Noe Baba, Ryan Rainey (Okwuy Okwute 59), Ryan Flood (Damien Duffy 83); Katlego Mashigo (Kevin Jordan 83); Michael Harris, Filip Da Silva.

Athlone Town: Vladi Velikin; Haji Abdikadir (Matthew Baker 76), German Fuentes Rodriguez, Noah van Geenan, Jack Kavanagh; Patrick Hickey, Matthew Leal (Charles Mutawe 76); Jamar Campion-Hinds (Adam Lennon 62), Aaron Connolly, Valerii Dolia (Blake Ryan 76); Frantz Pierrot (Matthew McCarrick 82).

Referee: Marc Lynch.