Drogheda United 3 Finn Harps 1
FINN Harps have hit a mid-summer slump - and the upbeat mood around the club that was so evident back in March when they topped the table is no more.
The Donegal club have slid down to eighth in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and with just two wins in their past 11 games, all the talk about them pushing on this season is now subject to some questioning.
Harps were soundly beaten 3-1 away to Drogheda United on Friday night, despite taking the lead.
Manager Ollie Horgan, frank as ever, acknowledged that his team “were just not good enough.”
And he added: “Drogheda were better and I think they will be thrilled that they won without playing that well.”
Horgan has always played down the good early season form and stressed that it is all about where you are on the last day of the 36-game campaign.
But after this latest setback - Harps have taken two points in their last six games - he does appear to be bracing himself for some tough times ahead.
“We have to get ready for a huge dog-fight that we are normally in, and it looks like we are in it again,” he said.
On the plus side, American Will Seymore got his first goal for the club, a cracking effort after just eight minutes following a lovely lay-off by Barry McNamee.
But Drogheda struck back with goals from Mark Doyle and Darragh Markey before the break while former Harps player Dan O’Reilly scored a late free to put matters beyond doubt.
Drogheda’s equaliser was controversial as it followed an injury to McNamee. Drogheda’s Gary Deegan was expected to send the ball back - in a sportsman-like manner - to Harps but his firmly struck ‘pass’ actually forced the visiting goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley into making a save at the expense of a corner from which Drogheda scored.
While annoyed at the time, Horgan said: “We still have to look at ourselves.”
Meanwhile, the club has announced that Tony McNamee has left. McNamee was the longest serving player in the squad but has had limited game time over the past two seasons.
On Saturday defender Stephen Folan announced his retirement from senior soccer due to ongoing injuries.
