Boyle brace boosts Harps

FINN HARPS claimed just their third win of the season and in the process moved off the bottom of the Premier Division table with Nathan Boyle’s double enough to defeat Sligo Rovers in Ballybofey.

Boyle kept his composure from close range to fire past Ed McGinty in the Sligo goal. He got his feet sorted quickly from a Mark Russell cross on 28 minutes to open the scoring – and they led 1-0 at the break.

Then, 12 minutes from time, the home team capitalised on some indecision from Sligo, who were on the attack, and Raffaele Cretaro broke against his former club, and holding up possession before laying off to Boyle to shoot home.

Cretaro had almost caught out McGinty with a shot from outside of the penalty area on the quarter-hour with a booming effort which the Sligo ’keeper spilled only to retrieve as it was about to cross the line.

Sligo only tested goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley once in the first half though, and the Donegal netminder made a one-handed save from Sam Warde’s free-kick in the second minute.

Warde dragged a shot just wide of the Harps goal on 37 minutes, so close a gasp could be heard, but the hosts were decent value for their interval lead.

David Cawley missed a massive chance eight minutes into the second half when he scuffed wide in front of an open goal following a ball into the area by Kris Twardek.

Sligo had more of the ball in that second half. But Harps sat in and took their chance when it arose to move three points ahead of UCD, albeit with three more games played.

FINN HARPS: McGĕĸħeǣƓ OƁReĕħħǣ, CŇǝaĸ, TŇddƓ BŇƄg, HaƄĤĕĸ, CŇǣħe, M RLjƌƌeħħƓ CƄeƩaƄŇ ūMcNaijee 8ƽŭ, McAħeeƄ ūAƌcƄŇfƩ Ɣ4ŭ, BŇǣħe ūPħace 88ŭű

SLIGO ROVERS: McGĕĸƩǣƓ DLjĸħeaǜǣ, MaďŇĸ, LeǜeƄŇcĤ, BaĸĤƌƓ CaħħaĸēMcFaddeĸ ūJ RLjƌƌeħħ ďƥƩŭƓ WaƄdeƓ Caǝħeǣ ūKeaĸeǣ Ɣőŭ, TǝaƄdeĤƓ MLjƄƄaǣ, PaƄĤeƌű

REF – T CŇĸĸŇħħǣű