UCD net late leveller to deny Finn Harps in six-goal thriller
Finn Harps, who were down to just 16 players for the trip to Dublin, led three times against UCD, but the Students netted a late, late equaliser
Eanna Clancy headed in a dramatic 93rd minute goal to deny Finn Harps in a riveting clash at The UCD Bowl.
When Success Edogun drilled in a penalty two minutes from the end, it seemed as if a late goal by the big attacker would win a game for the second successive Friday.
Edogun was deemed to have been fouled and stepped up to fire in what looked to be the winner.
Sean O'Donnell – inside the first minute of the game – and Edogun had earlier given Harps the edge, but each time UCD hit back through Donal Higgins and Ciaran Behan.
Even Edogun's late penalty, drilling confidently past Kian Moore, wouldn't be enough to separate the sides as Clancy brilliantly headed past Conor Walsh in added time to grab a point for UCD, managed by Buncrana native William O'Connor.
All things considered, even if they were ahead three times, a draw at a fellow promotion chaser, represents a good night at the office for Harps.
A bug in the Harps camp left manager Darren Murphy short on bodies with just 16 players boarding the bus.
Harps took the lead with barely 30 seconds on the stopwatch. Tony McNamee's foraging saw Max Johnston able to hook onto O'Donnell, who was already clicking into the high gears.
O'Donnell raced clear and tucked beautifully under the advancing Moore.
UCD were back on level terms in the seventh minute. Darragh Coyle clipped the heels of Michael McCullagh on the left-hand edge of the Harps penalty area.
Higgins stepped up to arrow a superb effort into the far corner. Conor Walsh, restored here as the Harps 'keeper, could do little.
The 19-year-old Walsh, on loan from Sligo Rovers for the 2024 season, was included in one of three changes made by Murphy.
Coyle and O'Donnell were also promoted to the starting XI on a night when the Harps squad travelled with only 16 players.
Since losing three of their opening four games of the season, UCD have considerably improved their grades.
O'Connor changed things around here, making six switches to the side from that which started last week;'s 2-1 win at Kerry with only Kian Moore, Adam Wells, Eanna Clancy, Donal Higgins, Jake Doyle surviving in the cull.
UCD began to look the more likely to take the lead as Behan, after shimmying in from the right, saw his curling effort take a wicked deflection as it zoomed past Walsh's target.
Having caused some consternation in the Harps rearguard with one header, Clancy eyed up another from a corner, but Harps defender Noe Baba came in with a brave block.
After Walsh beat away a long-range attempt by Wells on the half-hour, Edogun restored Harps' advantage again in the 36th minute.
Edpgun beat his man and steadied before firing inch-perfect past the fingernails of Moore and inside the far post for his fifth goal of the campaign.
It was short lived, though as Behan pounced in the 60th minute to tie it up again. Sean Brennan did good spadework and Harps couldn't fully clear their lines, leaving Behan to fire to the bottom corner.
That was that until those mad, final few minutes.
Deep, deep in the depths of the added period there was still time for Harps to dare to win it, but Tony McNamee whipped a free kick just over the crossbar.
UCD: Kian Moore; Ronan Finn (Adam Verdon 75), Eanna Clancy, Donal Higgins. Alex Dunne (Adam Brennan 89); Adam Wells, Sean Brennan; Ciaran Behan, Jake Doyle (Colin Bolton 89), Michael McCullagh; Michael Raggett (Hugh Parker 61).
Finn Harps: Conor Walsh; Darragh Coyle, Matthew Makinson, Noe Baba, Luke O'Brien; David Cawley, Ryan Rainey (Stephen Doherty 66); Success Edogun, Tony McNamee, Sean O'Donnell; Max Johnston (Patrick Ferry 57).
Referee: Glen Geraghty.