FULL-TIME: FINN HARPS 0-0 WATERFORD UNITEDÂ
92 mins: Boyle blasts wastefully wide from a good position inside the box.
85 mins: Matthew Connor, a goalkeeper, is on up front for Daniel Pender, who has been carried off on a stretcher.
79 mins: Goalkeeper Birdsall denies Boyle at close range. Plenty of life about Harps now – but NEED a goal.
77 mins: Ciaran Coll is the next to go close, but he’s just wide having connected to McNulty’s cross.
73 mins: Harps – who have taken on Crossan, Tagbo and Boyle – hit the net when McNulty powers in a header from McNamee’s cross. Offside flag cuts short the celebrations.
66 mins: McHugh heads inches over from mere yards out as McNamee’s long throw-in isn’t dealt with.
56 mins: Waterford’s Corey Calvin hits the post. A real let-off for Harps this time.
52 mins: Ciaran Coll gets into the penalty box on a promising Harps attack, but his footing lets him down and the chance is gone.
Half-time: Finn Harps 0-0 Waterford United
43 mins: Thomas McMonagle is booked after referee Ray Matthews has a lengthy discussion with assistant referee Alan Dunne.
37 mins: Aaron O’Connor has Waterford’s first purposeful attempt, but his shot flies a good bit wide of the Town End goal.
32 mins: Waters picks out McNamee with an inch-perfect cross. He really should have scored. But didn’t.
25 mins: Your intrepid reporter is rather fearful of his life tonight. Scene in the press box is pictured below – holes now appearing in the ‘ceiling’. Real possibility that Michael Grant and his camera could come down on top of us…On a serious note, please fix this, Harps!
17 Â mins: Kevin McHugh feeds Tony McNamee with a superb pass but a cross/shot just evades the in-rushing Waters.
11 mins – Waterford have only three substitutes tonight. Roddy Collins, as expected, gets a rather frosty welcome to Finn Park.
Waterford United: Robert Birdsall; Dean Reidy, Colm Nugent, Shane Mackey, Shane Dineen; Corey Galvin, Evan Galvin, Brian Nolan, Anthony McAlavey, Aaron O’Connor; Daniel Pender. Subs: Mark Walsh, Robbie Buckley, Matthew Connor.
5 mins – Ciaran Coll pushes the ball past Dean Reidy on the left-hand side before picking out Waters – who’s making his first appearance at Finn Park as a Harps player – but he lacks composure at the chance is gone.
1 min – Michael Funston drives over after being picked out by Keith Cowan’s ball over the top.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan, Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll; Michael Funston, Gareth Harkin, Raymond Foy, Tony McNamee; Rob Waters, Kevin McHugh.
Subs: Matthew Crossan, Josh Mailey, Wilfried Tagbo, Tommy Lee McCarron, Kieran McDaid, Nathan Boyle, Packie Mailey.
Harps manager Ollie Horgan makes one change as Rob Waters – able to make the Saturday journey (work commitments rule him out of making the trip to Ballybofey for Friday games) – takes the place of Nathan Boyle, who has apparently report ill, although he’s named on the bench.
Welcome to Finn Park, where Finn Harps have a rare Saturday night home game because of last nights internationals.
