Treaty United continue impressive start to season with win over struggling Finn Harps

Treaty United manager Tommy Barrett watches on. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile.

Treaty United 3 Finn Harps 1

Finn Harps’ winless start to the season was extended by a plucky Treaty United side eager to continue their impressive start to their league campaign.

On a bitterly cold night in front of 1,378 in Markets Field, Treaty somehow managed to withhold a first half onslaught to take a surprise lead into half time thanks to a late Evan O’Connor strike into the far corner.

From there, Treaty turned the game on its head, following an early second half Harps’ equaliser, with a Lee Devitt penalty and a late David Tarmey goal securing all three points for Tommy Barrett’s men.

In a lacklustre contest until the final quarter, Harps will feel they left the points behind them after a dominating first half on Shannonside but, in truth, the Donegal side lacked real quality in front of goal to do so.

Finn Harps had the better of the earlier chances with Patrick Ferry firing over inside three minutes after his initial shot was saved by Corrie Chambers as Treaty struggled to get a grip on the game early on.

Harps certainly started the game brighter and really should have again taken the lead with Ferry, Dara McGuiness and Gavin McAteer threatening early on, but Treaty held firm.

With 17 minutes on the clock McAteer could only watch on as his superb free kick was superbly saved by Chambers.

Treaty were hanging on at this stage.

Pressure continued to mount for the hosts, but the Treaty rearguard defended resolutely during a period of Harps’ dominance.

Just four minutes shy of the half hour mark, Harps’ defender Anthony Dodd was booked for pulling Lee Devit down after a quickly taken goal kick over the top caught Darren Murphy’s side on the break.

It wasn’t until the 35th minute that Treaty got their first shot on target, but Oisin Cooney made easy pickings of Devitt’s tame effort.

Defender Evan O’Connor bagged his fourth ever goal for United with a cool finish into the far corner on the 45-minute mark, after the Harps defence failed to clear their lines.

A reply from the visitors came just after the restart when Dara McGuinness tapped in a Mikey Place cross from close range as the Treaty defence were caught napping just seconds after the restart.

With just over 15 minutes left on the clock, Devitt scored his fifth goal in Treaty’s three opening league games, as the Clare native slotted home what proved to be the winning goal from the penalty spot.

Devitt, who has now scored in three consecutive league games, had been brought down by Cooney after the Harps' 'keeper spilled a Mark Byrne long-range effort.

In the end it was the substitutes that made the difference as David Tarmey added to Harps’ blushes with a well-taken close-range goal with just five minutes remaining.

It was a third successive defeat for Harps as Treaty soared to second in the First Division table.

Elsewhere goals in each half from Mikie Rowe was enough for Wexford to earn the three points against Bray Wanderers in Stephen Elliott's first home game in charge.

Treaty United: C Chambers; E O’Connor, M Walsh, E Martin, R Boevi; C Conroy (S Healy 66), C Wilson (R Lawlor 92); K O’Sullivan (M Byrne 59), L Devitt, J Hanson (D Tarmey 59); Y Mahdy (T Vrljicak 59).

Finn Harps: O Cooney; K Jordan, C Tourish (M Thompson 89), A Dodd (G Lomboto 81), M Hutchison; M Place, T McNamee, G McAteer (J Cullen 89), J Thompson (A McLaughlin 81), D McGuiness; P Ferry (G Hodgins 71).

Referee: Alan Patchell.