Five star Finn Harps hammer Bray to take first win of 2025 in style

Finn Harps picked up their first win of the season in style on Friday night.

Goals in the first-half by Max Hutchison, Gavin Hodgins and Mikey Place sent Darren Murphy’s men on their way to a much-needed victory against Bray Wanderers.

Less than 30 seconds into the second half, Dara McGuinness bagged the fourth with Harps captain Tony McNamee adding a fifth just after the hour mark.

The Seagulls were all at sea and Paul Heffernan’s side were reduced to ten men in the 33rd minute, Calum Costello getting his marching orders for a second bookable offence. 

Harps cantered to their biggest League win since a 5-0 rout of Longford Town in November 2021, some 1,219 days earlier - although they did defeat Leinster Senior League outfit Skerries 5-0 in the 2023 FAI Cup.

The clean sheet kept by David Aziaya was also the first of the year for Harps, making it a positive night all around in front of a crowd of 930.

Read next: Emma Gribben included in Ireland Under-20 Women's basketball squad

Harps, as they had done in the 2-1 loss to Cobh in their previous outing, began well. The hosts showed real purpose in the early moments and took the lead after just four minutes.

Bray goalkeeper James Corcoran superbly saved from Conor Tourish’s header, brilliant reaching up to make the stop. The lurking Hutchison applied the finish, despite the valiant attempt by Corcoran to claw away. While McNamee blasted to the net to make sure, the assistant referee, Conor Fitzgibbon, had already signalled for a goal from Hutchison’s effort. 

It was a first League goal for the 24-year-old Englishman, a son of former Premier League player Don Hutchison, who had spells at clubs including Liverpool’s, West Ham United and Everton. In his first season at Harps in 2023, Hutchison scored two goals in the FAI Cup.

This was his 43rd appearance in all competitions for Harps and his goal came after Hodgins, having cut in menacingly from the left flank, riffled off the crossbar with McNamee’s rebound deflecting around for the corner.

Ferry was thwarted by Corcoran in the 16th minute as he burst down the right channel while the visiting ‘keeper did well to save on his line from Dara McGuinness.

Harps’ pressure paid dividends again in the 27th minute when the in-rushing Hodgins got on the end of a beautiful Cawley cross to head home at the far post. 

Somehow, Corcoran saved a close-range first-timer by Hodgins on the half-hour with Cawley again the provider.

Harps were in dreamland when Place caught a half-volley sweetly and landed the dart right in Corcoran’s bottom corner. Placed to perfection, even.

In between times, Bray’s night went from bad to worse when Costello was handed his second yellow card, and the accompanying red, following a second over zealous foul on Place. 

Cawley, the experienced former Sligo Rovers midfielder was included from the off here in the one change made by Murphy. Cawley took the spot vacated by Gavin McAteer, who is on International duty with the Republic of Ireland Under-17s in European qualifiers. 

Just 30 seconds into the second half, Harps added a fourth, McGuinness - put through by Place - skipping around Corcoran and slotting home to the delight of the home support, many of whom were just in the process of taking their vantage points for the second half. 

Bray, captained by former Harps defender Killian Cantwell, arrived in Donegal on the back of a 3-1 loss to Dundalk last week. Danu Kinsella-Bishop was handed his full debut, coming into the Bray team in place of Richard Ferizaj.

Harps continued the procession and, in the 63rd minute, McNamee applied the finish from Hodgins’ cross.

On a rare Bray attack, Kinsella-Bishop might have pulled one back for Bray in the 76th minute, but shot wide when well placed. 

Murphy was able to ring the changes in the second half with 16-year-old Josh Cullen and 18-year-old Adam McDaid introduced for the last 20 minutes. McDaid, who hails from Letterkenny, made his first-team debut when brought on in place of Conor Tourish with Donegal Town lad Cullen having come on in the recent away defeat at Treaty United. 

Cullen almost netted a sixth goal in added time, but the post came to the rescue of the long since beaten Bray. 

Finn Harps: David Aziaya; Mikey Place, Max Hutchison, Conor Tourish (Adam McDaid 70), Joel Thompson (Gradi Lomboto 60); Kevin Jordan (Joel Bradley-Walsh 60), David Cawley; Patrick Ferry (Anto Dodd 60), Tony McNamee (Josh Cullen 70), Gavin Hodgins; Dara McGuinness.

Bray Wanderers: James Corcoran; Max Murphy, Paul Murphy, Killian Cantwell, Jamie Duggan (Harvey Warren 78); Guillermo Almirall (Rhys Knight 58), Jordan Tallon (Jamie Ryan 78), Cian Doyle (Rhys Bartley 58), Cian Curtis (Conor Knight 38), Calum Costello; Danu Kinsella-Bishop.

Referee: Glen Geraghty.