No let-up from Cork City
The monsoon like conditions made a mockery of the game at times during the second-half but goals either side of half-time keep City within four points of Stephen Kenny’s champions, who easily saw off Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght.
City felt they didn’t do themselves justice against Dundalk on Tuesday, especially in the first-half, and they were eager to return to winning ways and keep the pressure on Dundalk with only four games remaining after this one.
However, it was always going to be difficult in the conditions and they’ll be delighted to have picked up all three points. Gearóid Morrissey hasn’t yet recovered from a hamstring strain, which meant Caulfield went with the same side that started at Oriel.
Finn Harps boss Ollie Horgan, fresh from signing a contract extension earlier in the week, was still without the injured Ruairi Keating and Kevin McHugh. Keith Cowan sustained a serious knee injury in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with St Pat’s and will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery. And Sean Houston, who scored the late equaliser in that game, was also only fit enough for a place on the bench.
Horgan did have fit again Adam Hanlon returning however, with Dave Scully and Josh Mailey also starting as he made three changes to Tuesday’s side, with BJ Banda dropped.
Harps went into the game knowing a better result than Wexford Youths’ result against Galway United would guarantee them Premier Division football again next season but their task was made even harder when they lost Michael Funston with only three minutes on the clock after a nasty clash of heads with Garry Buckley.
City have been putting teams to the sword early at Turner’s Cross all season and they should have hit the front in the ninth minute when Kevin O’Connor pulled Kenny Browne’s long ball back across goal but Karl Sheppard side footed horribly over from a great position.
The torrential rain was making underfoot conditions difficult for the players with chances few and far between in the opening half and with a few puddles beginning to gather in parts of the pitch, there was a danger of the game being abandoned if the downpour failed to ease.
The visitors did come close in the 27th minute when substitute Tony McNamee bent Gareth Harkin’s pass narrowly wide of Mark McNulty’s left hand post.
Dave Scully then shot straight at McNulty after some good work from Ethan Boyle as City failed to muster anything of note and looked flat against a well organised Harps side, who seemed to be enjoying the conditions.
City struggled for much of the opening half but went in for the break a goal to the good when Kevin O’Connor’s corner kick looked to have went in off the head of Damien McNulty as he jumped with goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher and Sheppard.
Referee Robert Rogers must have been discussing the possibility of having to abandon the game with his assistants during the half-time break as the rain continued to pour down with more and more water beginning to lodge on the pitch. Caufield introduced Mark O’Sullivan for the ineffective Gavan Holohan early in the second-half, just as he did on Tuesday when O’Sullivan scored, as he went with two up front in a bid to put the game out of the visitors’ reach.
The second goal did arrive in the 59th minute when Sean Maguire played in Stephen Dooley, who took the ball in his stride before neatly finishing past the outrushing Gallagher.
Neither side would have wanted the game abandoned at this stage of the season as the ball got stuck in the puddles. O’Sullivan did have a chance to increase City’s lead but Gallagher made a great stop to deny the striker and the keeper then denied Maguire as the game finished 2-0, which leaves Harps still not safe from relegation.
McNulty, Beattie, Bennett, Browne, O’Connor (Mulcahy 71), Sheppard, Bolger, Buckley, Holohan (O’Sullivan 59), Dooley (Healy 81), Maguire.
Gallagher, Boyle, McNulty, J Mailey, Coll, Funston (McNamee 4), Molloy (Banda 64), Harkin, Hanlon. Scully, Curran.
R Rogers (Dublin).
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