Success Edogun hits dramatic winner as Finn Harps defeat Longford Town

Success Edogun ended his recent goal drought to fire Finn Harps to a nervy win over First Division basement boys Longford Town at Finn Park on Friday night.

Harps coughed up the advantage after racing into a two-goal lead by the 12th minute, but Edogun rescued the night in the 85th minute.

Teenager Max Johnston struck his first Harps goal and captain Tony McNamee added a second as the hosts surged ahead, but Jordan Adeyemo, from the penalty spot, and Dean O'Shea, brought Longford level.

It was poised to end in stalemate when Edogun pounced.

Sub Sean O'Donnell won the race for possession and he pulled across from the byline for Edogun to arrow in the winner.

Edogun, a closed-season recruit from Treaty United, began his Harps career in style with three goals in the year's opening three games.

The 23-year-old's well had been dry since, but after a day when temperatures rocketed to 24 degrees Edogun quenched his thirst with a dramatic winner.

Harps got off to a flying start as Johnston headed in off the crossbar in the third minute. The Glenmaquin teen won rave reviews from his manager after a superb first senior start seven nights earlier – and he wasted no time here in getting his name on the score sheet.

Success Edogun foraged on the right-hand side and he whipped in for Johnston to get off the mark.

In stunning style, McNamee doubled the lead.

The Harps captain neatly cushioned a clearance and, some 25 yards from the Town End goal, the Ramelton man cracked a magnificent half-volley firmly beyond Jack Brady for his fifth of the season.

In between those goals, Longford weren't far off an equaliser, but Francis Campbell had his dart just off the bullseye when breaking dangerously down the right channel.

After David Cawley drilled wide from 20 yards, Longford pulled a goal back when Adeyemo confidently dispatched a 24^th minute penalty just past the reach of Harps 'keeper Tim Hiemer.

Adeyemo stepped up to convert his third goal of the season after Jamie Watson bundled into the back of Ross Fay just as the Longford midfielder had his finger on the trigger.

Harps might've restored the two-goal lead soon after, but Brady got the tips of his fingers to Patrick Ferry's daisy-cutter.

A 2-1 win over Kerry FC four nights earlier represented Longford's first victory of the season. A sorry sequence of results cost Stephen Henderson his job as manager and interim boss Wayne Groves took his troops to Donegal with their zapped confidence lifted somewhat.

It was certainly commendable that a Longford side that suffered eight defeats before boarding the bus for Ballybofey was able to shake the head clear and draw level.

Longford were back on level terms in the 32^nd minute when O'Shea stole in to finish from Conor Crowley's free kick.

Harps had lost four of their last five, including a 1-0 reversal at Bray Wanderers on Bank Holiday Monday, and Murphy rang the changes below a baking sun.

Hiemer, Ryan Rainey, Cawley and Edogun all returned to the starting line-up with Conor Walsh, Darragh Coyle, Chris Lotefa and Stephen Doherty making way.

Harps should have gone in front when Edogun climbed to meet a Luke O'Brien corner, but he header over, while Brady held onto a testing O'Brien free kick.

The pace of things dipped along with the sun, but midway through the second half Johnston had to surge back to block from Adeyemo while Edogun forced Brady into a save at the other end.

Finn Harps: Tim Hiemer; Jamie Watson, Noe Baba, Matthew Makinson, Luke O'Brien; David Cawley, Ryan Rainey; Patrick Ferry (Sean O'Donnell 71), Tony McNamee, Success Edogun (Conor Tourish 87); Max Johnston.

Longford Town: Jack Brady; Shane Elworthy, Viktor Serdeniuk, Dean O'Shea, Kyle O'Connor; Luke Wade Slater, Ross Fay, Conor Crowley, Mohammed Boudiaf (Bastien Hery 61); Francis Campbell, Jordan Adeyemo.

Referee: Alan Patchell.