Beaten Harps must sweat on Premier status

MUIRHEVNAMOR closed to within three points of winning the North East Premier Division title as they overcame their battling hosts Boyne Harps who were in need of points to help secure their place in the top flight.

Sunday’s defeat at United Park means that Shane Gregory’s Harps must sweat it out to see if Duleek can win two of their remaining three games to overhaul them and condemn the Drogheda side to a Premier/First Division play-off.

Harps took the lead in Sunday’s match after 25 minutes when Ian Devine took a pass from James Traynor and turned two defenders before rifling a shot into the top corner of David Cooney’s net.

But Muirhevnamor - whose form has been shaky as the season reaches a climax - staged a stirring comeback to take the vital three points.

After losing to one of their nearest rivals Newfoundwell in their last outing, and having victory snatched at the death, also at home, by the champions and fellow challengers Navan Cosmos, they could afford no further slip-ups.

Now a win over Navan, away, in their last match would see them lift the pennant and crown a dream first season back in the Premier Division.

However, it didn’t look good when they fell behind so early, with morale somewhat brittle, and missing the comforting presence of three of their big players in Mickey O’Kane, Philip Duffy and Paddy Hearty.

Their nerves wouldn’t have been helped by squandering a handful of clear-cut chances in the opening period, as the end of which they could have been leading comfortably.

Instead they were relieved to be level, with Billy Smith - with another from a list of cracking goals - equalising shortly before the break.

He had wasted an excellent opportunity minutes beforehand, but he made amends when from close to the byeline and from a very tight angle he hit a screamer of a shot past Boyne goalkeeper Gary Thornton into the net.

Harps defender Anto McGuinness, who had chased Smith back all the way, tweaked his hamstring in the process and had to be replaced by Paddy O’Boyle at the interval.

Nevertheless, Harps gave the champions elect some worrying moments in the second half, with keeper Cooney thwarting Devine, and subs O’Boyle and Gary Bedford when the scoreline was 1-1.

The visitors eventually forged ahead when Thornton saved a free kick by Jimmy Cooney from outside the box and then blocked the rebound, but his defenders weren’t quick enough to react and ‘Mor substitute David Mahoney gathered possession and pulled the ball back for Thomas McShane to shoot into the roof of the net.

Smith sealed victory in a dramatic finale in stoppage time when from a long kickout by David Cooney the striker beat Thornton who hauled him down in the box. The referee pointed to the spot and showed the red card to the home keeper, and Smith then nonchalantly stroked home the spot kick.