Finn Harps frustrated as UCD earn a point

Finn Harps missed the chance to briefly move to the summit of the First Division after battling UCD bagged a point in Ballybofey on Friday evening.

Harps led from an early Tony McNamee cracker, but Behan's fifth goal of the season earned UCD, who played the last half-an-hour with ten men after Michael McCullagh was sent off, a point.

With 16 minutes remaining, UCD broke away down the right and Behan, barely six yards out, turned home Colin Bolton's cross.

In the dying embers, Conor Tourish was denied the chance to be the evening's hero. The Letterkenny man let fly, but Kian Moore, the UCD 'keeper, pulled off a stunning stop, somehow turning over the top at the Town End.

Floodlight failure during the week forced Harps into moving forward the kick-off time to 5pm, although the 1,021 attendance was perhaps higher that might've been expected. Efforts by the club to remedy Finn Park's troublesome floodlight system hit a roadblock when the wrong components arrived on Wednesday.

Harps took the lead after 12 minutes. Patrick Ferry drew a foul on the edge of the box and McNamee whipped the free kick straight into Moore's top corner.

It was McNamee's third goal in three games having also registered in the wins over Treaty United and Bray Wanderers.

'We are top of the League', came the refrain from the terrace, the early kick off giving Harps a chance to leapfrog the First Division pacesetters, Cork City. Behan, though, had other ideas.

UCD, under the watch now of Buncrana man and former Harps coach William O'Connor, were dealt a hammer blow when McCullagh was red carded in the 63^rd minute after going in heavily on Ryan Rainey, but Behan earned the Students a share of the spoils.

In the 25^th minute, Behan had tried to replicate McNamee's trick at the other end, but his free curled narrowly wide of the top shelf of Conor Walsh's net.

Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Walsh was handed his first start since arriving for a loan spell from Sligo Rovers in February.

The 19-year-old arrived on deadline day and has just returned from a trip to Slovakia with the Irish U19s – managed by former Harps star Tom Mohan.

Rainey, who had dropped to the bench, had an early introduction, replacing the injured Stephen Doherty – who had taken his spot in the Harps XI - after 16 minutes, while Shane McMonagle returned in place of Luke O'Brien.

Success Edogun might have doubled the Harps lead when he found himself with a sight of goal, but his effort flashed wide of the far post on 27 minutes.

UCD arrived in Ballybofey just below Harps in third spot. Trailing at the break, O'Connor made a triple substitution at half-time in a bid to kick-start his side.

Four minutes into the new half, Edogun saw another effort deflect wide and Ferry warmed the palms of Moore soon after.

Behan brought UCD back on level terms before Harps sub Sean O'Donnell, picked out by a delicious tee-up by McNamee, was denied by a goal-line block.

Seven minutes from the end, McNamee clipped narrowly wide and Moore had to be on song in stoppage time to brilliantly thwart Tourish.

Harps, who are now unbeaten in their last five, now face three away games on the trot with visits to Athlone Town, Cobh Ramblers and Cork City.

Finn Harps: Conor Walsh; Matthew Makinson, Noe Baba, Conor Tourish; Jamie Watson, David Cawley, Stephen Doherty (Ryan Rainey 16), Shane McMonagle (Chris Lotefa 85); Tony McNamee; Success Edogun, Patrick Ferry (Sean O'Donnell 68).

UCD: Kian Moore; Alex Dunne (Donal Higgins h-t), Harry Curtis, Harvey O'Brien (Niall Holohan h-t), Luke O'Regan (Daniel Norris 80); Adam Wells, Sean Brennan; Ciaran Behan, Jake Doyle (Colin Bolton 62), Michael McCullagh; Michael Raggett (Danu Kinsella-Bishop h-t).

Referee: Oliver Moran.