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Details

Date Time League Season
18 March 2023 7:30 pm LOI Men's First Division 2023

Match Report

Ryan Rainey pen gives Harps the points in Longford

Ryan Rainey’s third goal of the season earned Finn Harps their first win of the campaign and inflicted a first defeat in four games on Longford Town.

Rainey slotted away a penalty in the 82nd minute after substitute Oliver Okwute was challenged by Kyle O’Connor.

It was an extremely poor game of football with decent chances at a premium. The defeat means the home side are still without a win this season.

In a dull and drab first half there were more bookings than chances created by either side. Harps had an early chance to open the scoring but Ryan Flood blasted the ball over the bar when he should’ve done better. The visitors enjoyed early possession but the home side soon settled into the game.

In the 10th minute Aodh Dervin hit his effort over the bar while Fran Campbell had a great opportunity in the 18th minute. Josh Giurgi played a neat ball to Gary Armstrong who played it out wide to Campbell but he shot over.

Harps were dealt a blow in the 20th minute when defender Keith Cowan went off injured. In stoppage time Caoimhin Porter put in a great tackle to deny Giurgi the chance to shoot. 

Town keeper Jack Brady had to go down and save Noe Baba’s effort in the 48th minute and one minute later Campbell got into the box and played the ball across the front of the goal but there was no one there to get a vital touch on it. 

In the 55th minute Dervin’s effort just went inches wide. The game was extremely flat and as the clock ticked down supporters waited for something to spark the game into life. 

A mistake at the back allowed Town substitute Jamal Ibrahim get into a good position in the 79th minute but Ellis Farrar got back to put in a well-timed tackle. 

In the 81st minute Harps were awarded a penalty after Okwute went down in the box under a challenge from O’Connor. Rainey made no mistake putting away his second penalty of the season. 

  • 93'

    Last minute of added on time

  • 89'

    Town have the ball and are doing nothing good with it

  • 82'

    Ryan Rainey puts the penalty away

  • 81'

    Penalty to Harps, Okwute went down under a challenge by O'Connor

  • 80'

    Gary Armstrong

  • 80'

    Ross Fay is on

  • 80'

    Stephen Meaney is off

  • 80'

    Darragh Lynch is on

  • 79'

    Mistake at the back allows Ibrahim in but Farrar did very well to win the ball back

  • 76'

    This game is so flat. Waiting for something to spark it into life

  • 72'

    Michael Harris is off

  • 72'

    Seamus Keogh is on

  • 72'

    Cian Lynch is off

  • 72'

    Okwute is on

  • 71'

    Gary Armstrong in the box and he hooks the ball up and over the bar

  • 67'

    Fran Campbell is off

  • 67'

    Mo Boudiaf is on

  • 67'

    Josh Giurgi is off

  • 67'

    Jamal Ibrahim is on

  • 65'

    Cian Byrne goes down in the box but referee waves play on

  • 64'

    Kevin Jordan is booked

  • 62'

    Da Silva is off

  • 62'

    Sean O'Donnell is on

  • 55'

    Aodh Dervin with a good strike that is just wide.

  • 49'

    Fran Campbell did well and plays a ball across the box but no one there to get a vital touch onto it

  • 48'

    An effort from Baba and Brady gets down to save

  • 46'

    Here's hoping this half is a lot better than the first

  • 45'

    Good defending from Porter to get in ahead of Giurgi.

  • 44'

    Good defending from Shane Elworthy there getting possession ahead of Cian Lynch

  • 43'

    Aodh Dervin is booked

  • 41'

    Ellis Farrar is booked

  • 39'

    Town putting pressure on Harps but not testing Heimer

  • 37'

    Finn Harps manager Dave Rogers has received a yellow card

  • 33'

    Cian Byrne makes a mess of his clearance, lucky Shane Elworthy reads it well and is able to clear.

  • 28'

    Kyle O'Connor is booked

  • 24'

    Stephen Meaney wins a corner for Town

  • 21'

    Keith Cowan off

  • 21'

    Kevin Jordan is on

  • 20'

    Big blow for Harps as Cowan goes off injured

  • 19'

    Harps' Keith Cowan is receiving treatment at the moment

  • 18'

    Giurgi with a lovely pass to Armstrong, he plays it wide to Francis Campbell but he shot over.

  • 12'

    Good hands from Jack Brady there. Harps given too much space there from the home side

  • 10'

    Dervin picks up the ball but it's over the bar

  • 9'

    Dervin to Giurgi and don't know what he's trying to do with the ball.

  • 6'

    It comes to nothing. Dervin had been on the edge of the box but Kyle O'Connor decided to float the kick into the penalty area

  • 6'

    Good play from Town wins them a corner

  • 4'

    Finn Harps have started this game well

  • 2'

    Ryan Flood has a great chance to put Harps ahead but he somehow blasts his effort over the bar.

  • The last time these two sides met at Bishopsgate was two years ago in the Premier Division and Harps won that game

  • Both teams are looking for their first win of the season. Town are unbeaten in three games while Harps are unbeaten in two

  • All eyes are on Lansdowne Road at the moment. Great day for sports fans with plenty of games to choose from

  • Welcome to this evening's coverage of Longford Town and Finn Harps. I'm Deniese O'Flaherty

Longford Town
1Jack Brady Goalkeeper
2Shane Elworthy Defender
7Josh Giurgi 11 Defender
10Gary Armstrong 8 Forward
13Cian Byrne Defender
16Aodh Dervin Midfielder 43'
17Stephen Meaney 24 Midfielder
18Viktor Serdeniuk Midfielder
20Kyle O’Connor Midfielder 28'
21Gavin O’Brien Defender
22Francis Campbell 19 Midfielder
3Derek Daly Defender
6Adam Verdon Midfielder
8Ross Fay 10 Midfielder
11Jamal Ibrahim 7 Forward
12Jack Harrington Goalkeeper
15Ciaran Hodanu Defender
19Mohamed Boudiaf 22 Defender
23Evan Farrell Defender
24Darragh Lynch 17 Forward

Finn Harps
1Tim Heimer Goalkeeper
4Daithi McCallion Defender
5Keith Cowan 15 Defender
6Noe Baba Defender
7Ryan Flood Defender
9Filip Da Silva 20 Forward
10Michael Harris 11 Forward
12Cian Lynch 19 Forward
14Caoimhin Porter Defender
18Ellis Farrar Defender 41'
22Ryan Rainey Midfielder 82'
8Katlego Mashigo Midfielder
11Seamas Keogh 10 Midfielder
15Kevin Jordan 5 Defender 64'
17Shane McMonagle Midfielder
20Sean O’Donnell 9 Forward
19Daniel Okwute 12 Forward

Timeline

 21'Keith Cowan
Kevin Jordan
20. Kyle O'Connor 28' 
 41' 18. Ellis Farrar
16. Aodh Dervin 43' 
 62'Filip Da Silva
Sean O'Donnell
 64' 15. Kevin Jordan
Josh Giurgi
Jamal Ibrahim		67' 
Francis Campbell
Mohamed Boudiaf		67' 
 72'Michael Harris
Seamas Keogh
 72'Cian Lynch
Daniel Okwute
Gary Armstrong
Ross Fay		80' 
Stephen Meaney
Darragh Lynch		80' 
 82' 22. Ryan Rainey

Past Meetings
(Series 36)
5 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park

Finn Harps v Longford Town

(Series 24)
0 - 3
LOI Men's Premier Division
Bishopsgate, Longford

Longford Town v Finn Harps

(Series 18)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park

Finn Harps v Longford Town

(Series 6)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Bishopsgate, Longford

Longford Town v Finn Harps

Ground

Bishopsgate, Longford
City Calling Stadium, L50021, Mullolagher, Cloondara ED, Longford Municipal District, County Longford, Leinster, Ireland

Deniese is a freelance sports journalist/broadcaster. She has worked for several local and national media outlets. GAA and soccer are her great loves and she also follows rugby league and snooker. She's a big supporter of her local clubs St. Mary's GAA Granard and Longford Town. She also follows Celtic, Liverpool and Leeds Rhinos. She presented and produced a popular sports podcast last year where she interviewed Ray Houghton, Chris Kamara and John Hartson. Deniese is currently Head of Communications for Boccia Ireland