SSE Airtricity League Premier Division: Finn Harps v St Patrick’s Athletic (tonight, Finn Park, 8pm)
FINN Harps will be hoping they aren’t in the way of backlash from St Patrick’s Athletic when the sides meet at Finn Park in Ballybofey tonight.
The Saints slumped to a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of champions Dundalk in their last outing and will be hoping it was only a blip, having previously won three games on the spin.
And Harps boss Ollie Horgan believes that three-game winning streak was more typical of the Richmond Park men than the Dundalk defeat.
“St Pat’s are a top side and play excellent football,” said Horgan.
“We will need to be at our best to make it hard for them.”
Yet the Harps manager feels his side can harm their opponents, but they need to step up their level of performance from last week’s 1-0 win over Longford Town.
“If we perform like we did in the last half-an-hour against Longford, that won’t be good enough,” he said.
When the sides last met, in October 2014, promotion-chasing Harps were no match for the Premier Division side who notched up a 6-1 win in an FAI Cup semi-final clash at Richmond Park.
“We know plenty about them from the FAI Cup semi-final two years ago,” said Horgan.
“Pat’s have serious quality all over the pitch from Brendan Clarke in goals to Christy Fagan up top. They have added the likes of David Cawley, Billy Dennehy and Mark Timlin, all top-class, quick and exciting players.
“We know that we will have our work cut out to stay with them.”
Harps have won two of their three home games in the league so far and go into the game knowing that victory would put them above the Inchicore side in the Premier Division table.
Barry Molloy, Josh Mailey and Sean Houston are still all at least a month away from returning for the Ballybofey men, while Ciaran Coll and Ryan Curran are slight doubts with knocks from last week’s game against Longford.
It could be a big night for midfielder Michael Funston who is in line to make his 300th appearance for Harps and will become only the 10th player to reach that milestone with the club.
Liam Buckley’s St Pat’s could include Republic of Ireland underage international Anthony Dolan. The Dubliner has joined them on loan from Fulham for the season.
It’s almost eight years since St Pat’s last played at Finn Park in the league, when a Mark Quigley goal secured a 1-0 win for the visitors.
Harps’ greatest ever moment came in 1974 when they beat St Pat’s in the FAI Cup final but their record against them is not great.
In their last 25 meetings, Harps have only won twice, with the last success a 4-1 win at Richmond Park in 2001.
