Finn Harps Reserves warmed up for their assault on the Airtricity u19s campaign when defeating Letterkenny Rovers 1-0 at a hot and sultry Leckview Park on Sunday afternoon.
Letterkenny Rovers 0 Finn Harps Reserves 1
It was the final day of regular league action for the home side and they can now concentrate all their energies on two final dates looming large on the horizon with deciders in the Donegal News League Cup and Knockalla Cup.
The game was a bit of a slow burner initially with a Joel Bradley-Walsh free kick going narrowly wide and a Ronan Gallagher header half chances for Harps in the opening quarter in a game which despite plenty of endeavour didn’t come to life until the final moments of the half.
Then, a a stunning Corey McBride effort was well saved by Rory Kelly in the Rovers goal and from the resultant corner Gary Merritt blocked Ronan Gallagher’s stinging effort on the line.
Connor Gormley then almost put through his own goal on the stroke of half time for a Harps side keen to impress watching senior boss Ollie Horgan while their defence was solid denying Rovers any real clear cut openings in the opening half.
Harps started the second half in similar vein and came close through McBride on 48 before taking the lead on 55 minutes when a deep cross wasn’t dealt with at the back post and the ball fell to Lee McLaughlin and he fired low past Kelly.
Rovers though improved as the half went on and forced a number of good set pieces from which they looked most likely and came close through Emmet Friars and Gormley with headers and a Lee Toland free kick with Leon Doherty also lively going forward.
Some solid defending from Harps defensive line led by Joel Bradley-Walsh ensured they were in no mood to give up any easy chances while Harps did come close at the other end and should have doubled their lead through McBride but he saw his shot go narrowly wide.
Harps boss Tommy Canning will be pleased how his side has gone tot-to-toe with their more senior opponents in the league this season in preparation for their national campaign while Rovers boss Eamon McConigley will be hoping to fine tune his side after a busy schedule when those final dates come around.
Letterkenny Rovers: Rory Kelly, Leon Doherty, Lee Toland, Emmett Friars, Connor Gormley, Jonathan Coady, Zac Gorman, Kevin McGrath, Chris Malseed, Gary Merritt, Davitt Walsh. Sub used: Jordan Gallagher
Finn Harps Reserves: Adrian McLaughlin, Lee McLaughlin, Daragh Ellison, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Charlie White, Eoin McLaughlin, Jack O’Donnell, Ronan Gallagher, Luke Rudden, Jamie Doherty, Corey McBride. Subs used: Jamie McDaid, Adam McCarron, Jamie McKinney and Shea McBride.
Referee: Paddy Martin.
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