SHAUN HOUSTON was on the double as Finn Harps put on a treat for their big derby crowd against Sligo Rovers at Finn Park.
Finn Harps 3 Sligo Rovers 0
On a week when the Donegal public answered a plea to get behind Harps, Houston scored either side of Ryan Curran’s sixth goal of the season.
A crowd of close-on 2,000 turned up and saw Harps make light of an in-form Sligo Rovers for their first in ten games in all competitions.
Harps took the lead through Houston in the 17th minute. Houston was on the receiving end of a Gareth Harkin pass and had what seemed like an age to get his bearings.
Houston took his time and coolly slotted past Micheál Schlingermann for his second goal since re-joining Harps in the winter.
They doubled the advantage four minutes into the second half.
Ciaran Coll and Dave Scully worked the opening with a neat passage of play that cut Sligo open and Curran finished the move in style, clipping high into the net past the advancing Schlingermann.
Curran might have made it three-nil, but didn’t quite get the necessary control on a close-range shot after Scully, again, and Houston created the opening.
Houston, who has been excellent since returning from injury, hooked in his second and Harps’ third when Schlingermann came for but failed to hold onto a free kick from Ciaran Coll.
Sligo arrived in Ballybofey with a considerable spring in their steps after winning six from their previous seven encounters and Dave Roberston was able to welcome Mick Leahy and Craig Roddan back into his team.
Sligo had an early effort by Kieran Sadlier, scorer of a brace last week as Sligo won their Connacht derby with Galway United 2-1, curled over the top.
Jimmy Keohane tried his luck with a driving effort just after Harps broke the deadlock, but Richard Brush got a strong arm behind the strike, turning it over the crossbar.
[adrotate group=”50″]Brush was included at the expense of Ciaran Gallagher, whose performance in last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Shamrock Rovers merited inclusion in one national newspaper’s team of the week selection.
Harps lined up with a five-at-the-back formation in a bid to keep in-form Sligo at bay and they certainly kept the Bit O’Red at a distance in the opening period.
Sligo were struggling to find chinks in the armour, with Keohane nodding down into Brush’s hands after connecting to Liam Martin’s right-wing cross.
On the half-hour, Keith Cowan – another of those returned to the staring XI – headed over the top from a ball in by Scully.
Since beating Bray Wanderers here on April 15, Harps hadn’t won in any of their last nine games in all competitions, although four draws did help keep the wolf from Ollie Horgan’s door.
[adrotate group=”72″]Harps had the wind taken from their sails in recent weeks, though, reaching a nadir in being beaten by Crumlin United in the FAI Cup – having shipped seven goals against Dundalk and four against St Patrick’s Athletic – but battled to a 1-1 draw at Shamrock Rovers last Sunday.
And they returned to winning ways in style here.
John Russell tested Brush early in the second half, but when Curran riffled in the second, Harps were in business.
With a two-goal lead to protect, the hosts sat back, content to absorb the contents of the Sligo sink.
[adrotate group=”70″]The previous meeting of these teams, back in March, was abandoned in the 88th minute because of floodlight failure at The Showgrounds, with League officials ruling that the 1-1 scoreline remained.
There was to be no confusion about the outcome here, though, as Houston’s second put the game, firmly, beyond Sligo’s reach.
Sligo went close on 70 minutes when Raffaele Cretaro slalomed his way into a shooting position, but the end product was a shot skewed off the target.
Keohane did, finally, get around Brush, in added time, but had his shot blocked by Cowan as the Harps defence, including a fine display from the little-used Thomas McMonagle, clung on to keep the sheet clean.
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Ethan Boyle, Keith Cowan, Packie Mailey, Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll; Adam Hanlon (Michael Funston 88), Gareth Harkin (Josh Mailey 82), Shaun Houston, Ryan Curran; Dave Scully.
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Tobi-Adebayo-Rowling, Mick Leahy, Gary Boylan, Regan Donelon; Kieran Sadlier (Jaania Gordon 86), Craig Roddan, John Russell (Jordan Richards 65), Jimmy Keohane; Liam Martin; Raffaele Cretaro (Phillip Roberts 86).
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
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