THE EXPERIENCE will have been a chastening one and the road home will seem longer than usual for Joe Boyle’s Finn Harps Under-19s.
Cork City Under-19s 7 Finn Harps Under-19s 1
Harps had qualified for the knockout phase of the Under-19 League, but last Saturday’s defeat by Sligo Rovers meant that they would be handed an away tie – and Monday’s draw gave them the hardest one of all, against Cork City at Bishopstown.
Harps traveled south last night and stayed in Limerick before making the remainder of the journey this morning for the quarter-final tie.
In the first half, Harps matched their opponents and were level at the break as Gareth Doherty cancelled out Liam Cronin’s opener.
But the home side took total control and ran in six goals in the second half.
They’d gone in front on 13 minutes when Cronin headed home from Chiedozie Ogbene’s cross.
Nine minutes later, Harps were level as midfielder Doherty surged through before finishing well.
That was how it remained until the break.
However, Harps had the worst possible start to the second half. From the kick-off, City broke and Harps defender Luke Nelis put through his own goal.
Still reeling from that set back, Harps conceded another just three minutes later when Ogbene teed up Craig Donnellan to score from distance.
Cronin got his second and Cork’s fourth when he fired in at the far post.
Ogbene turned provider again on 65 minutes for Conor Ellis to score and Ogbene got the goal his display deserved with a brilliant effort from the edge of the box that gave Tommy Lee McCarron no chance.
Twelve minutes from time, Cork added a seventh when Daire O’Riordan applied the finish after good work by Denzil Fernandez.
It draws what had been an encouraging season to a disappointing end for the young Harps but with only Darragh Black overage next year Boyle and company will be confident of continuing their build for the new season in March.
