Finn Harps will be aiming to take at least a point when Ollie Horgan’s side makes the short journey to Maginn Park in Buncrana to take on Derry City in the first of three Premier Division meetings between the local rivals this season. Both teams go into the game on the back of two defeats so there is a lot at stake.
It’s been a very difficult time for the Candystripes with the sudden death of their inspirational skipper Ryan McBride and now injuries to Rory Patterson, Barry McNamee and Conor McDermott is really stretching the strength and depth of Kenny Shiels’s squad.
Ollie Horgan has his own injury worries with another forward, Eddie Dsane joining two other strikers Ciaran O’Connor and Danny Morrissey on the injured list. After defeats to Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk the Harps manager knows that his side must try and get a result in Buncrana with the way other results went in the Premier Division last weekend.
“We have to look after ourselves and we’ll go to Maginn Park looking to get a result. Derry lost against Bray and Cork so Kenny Shiels will have his team really up for this one. He will see us as a big chance to get Derry’s season back on track. Things have changed a bit at our end of the table after Sligo, Drogheda and Limerick all winning last weekend. There’s a long way to go and there’ll be plenty more twists and turns before the end of the season” Horgan said.
The Harps boss is now badly short of attacking options after Dsane was unable to train this week due to a back injury. “Eddie [Dsane] has a back problem and wasn’t able to train so that is our three strikers injured because Ciaran O’Connor and Danny Morrissey are still being treated for hamstring strains. Paddy McCourt is still troubled by an ankle problem and Barry Molloy has an ongoing calf injury. We’ll just have to see how things are closer to kick-off and again it will probably be an opportunity for a couple of other lads to get some game time” Horgan said.
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TEAM NEWS
Suspended:
Doubtful: Barry Molloy, Paddy McCourt
Injured: Ciaran O’Connor, Danny Morrissey, Eddie Dsane
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RECORD AGAINST DERRY CITY (All Competitions)
Friday’s game will be the 63rd meeting of the two clubs, and the 1st to be played at Maginn Park.
Total Games: 62 (31 at Brandywell)
Harps Wins: 6 (2 at Brandywell)
Derry Wins: 40 (24 at Brandywell)
Draws: 16 (5 at Brandywell)
Harps Goals: 42 (17 at Brandywell)
Derry Goals: 117 (65 at Brandywell)
LAST 10 GAMES v DERRY CITY
29-Aug-08 Derry City 1-0 Finn Harps - Premier Division
04-May-10 Derry City 2-0 Finn Harps - First Division
10-May-10 Derry City 2-0 Finn Harps - League Cup
30-Jul-10 Finn Harps 1-1 Derry City - First Division
22-Oct-10 Derry City 2-2 Finn Harps - First Division
09-Apr-12 Derry City 4- 0 Finn Harps - League Cup
25-May-12 Derry City 4-0 Finn Harps - FAI Cup
20-May-13 Finn Harps 1-1 Derry City - League Cup
04-Mar-16 Finn Harps 1-0 Derry City - Premier Division
10-May-16 Derry City 2-2 Finn Harps - Premier Division
12-Aug-16 Finn Harps 0-5 Derry City – Premier Division
OUR LAST MEETING WITH DERRY CITY
12th August 2016. Finn park.
League of Ireland Premier Division.
FINN HARPS 0
DERRY CITY 5 - Aaron McEneff 18', 42',Nathan Boyle 53', Lukas Schubert 83', Keith Ward 86'
Finn Harps – Richard Brush; Keith Cowan, Packie Mailey, Thomas McMonagle (Dave Scully 57); Ethan Boyle, Josh Mailey (Raymond Foy 62), Barry Molloy, Tony McNamee (Adam Hanlon 57), Ciaran Coll; Sean Houston; Ryan Curran.
Derry City – Gerard Doherty; Conor McDermott, Niclas Vemmelund, Ryan McBride, Jarvis; Lukas Schubert, Aaron McEneff, Conor McCormack (Harry Monaghan 83), Barry McNamee (Keith Ward 77); Nathan Boyle (Joshua Daniels 70), Rory Patterson.
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FINN HARPS GOALSCORERS 2017 (All competitions)
Ciaran O’Connor – 4
Sean Houston – 4 (1 EA Sports Cup)
Jonny Bonner – 2 (2 EA Sports Cup)
Ethan Boyle – 1
Kilian Cantwell – 1
Caolan McAleer – 1
Paddy McCourt - 1
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FINN HARPS RESULTS 2017
Fri 24-Feb Finn Harps 0-1 Cork City
Fri 03-Mar Bray Wanderers 5–3 Finn Harps
Fri 10-Mar Finn Harps 1-1 Galway Utd
Mon 13-Mar St. Patrick’s Athletic 1-2 Finn Harps
Sat 18-Mar Limerick 1-1 Finn Harps
Sat 25-Mar Finn Harps 2-1 Sligo Rovers
Fri 31-Mar Shamrock Rovers 3-2 Finn Harps
Mon 03-Apr Finn Harps 3-1 Cockhill Celtic (EA Sports Cup)
Fri 07-Apr Finn Harps 0-2 Dundalk
FINN HARPS REMAINING FIXTURES 2017
14-Apr, 7.45pm Derry City v Finn Harps, Maginn Park
16-Apr, 6pm Finn Harps v Sligo Rovers, Finn Park (EA Sports Cup)
21-Apr, 8pm Finn Harps v Drogheda United, Finn Park
28-Apr, 7.45pm Bohemians FC v Finn Harps, Dalymount Park
05-May, 7.45pm Cork City v Finn Harps, Turners Cross
12-May, 8pm Finn Harps v Bray Wanderers, Finn Park
19-May, 7.45pm Galway United v Finn Harps, Eamonn Deacy Park
22/23 May, 8pm Finn Harps v St Patrick’s Athletic, Finn Park
26-May, 8pm Finn Harps v Limerick, Finn Park
02-Jun, 7.45pm Sligo Rovers v Finn Harps, Showgrounds
16-Jun, 8pm Finn Harps v Shamrock Rovers, Finn Park
23-Jun, 7.45pm Dundalk v Finn Harps, Oriel Park
30-Jun, 8pm Finn Harps v Derry City, Finn Park
07-Jul, 7.45pm Drogheda United v Finn Harps, United Park
14-Jul, 8pm Finn Harps v Bohemian FC, Finn Park
21-Jul, 8pm Finn Harps v Cork City, Finn Park
28-Jul, 7.45pm Bray Wanderers v Finn Harps, Carlisle Grounds
04-Aug, 8pm Finn Harps v Galway United, Finn Park
18-Aug, 7.45pm St Patrick’s Athletic v Finn Harps, Richmond Park
02-Sep, 6.30pm Limerick v Finn Harps, Market Field
15-Sep, 8pm Finn Harps v Sligo Rovers, Finn Park
22-Sep, 8pm Shamrock Rovers v Finn Harps, Tallaght Stadium
07-Oct, 7.45pm Finn Harps v Dundalk, Finn Park
15-Oct, 2pm Derry City v Finn Harps, Maginn Park
20-Oct, 8pm Finn Harps v Drogheda United, Finn Park
27-Oct, 7.45pm Bohemian FC v Finn Harps, Dalymount Park
