2021SEASON
against a club that his dad, Johnny Senior, played for – the stats were firmly in the winners’ favour. Showing their mettle the week before against champions Shamrock Rovers was certainly no guarantee that things would go smoothly here. Sharing the spoils with the best team of last season’s shortened campaign is one thing; often a better barometer is how Rovers do against Harps – the kind of gutsy, no-frills opponents who represent the competitive, battling aspect of the Premier Division.
No one is suggesting that Harps have suddenly become Donegal’s answer to Boca Juniors but their scalps so far in 2021 have included Bohemians and Dundalk.
At the end of this encounter, however, the visitors failed to demand even one save from Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty. Their only two efforts on target – both in the second-half – were blocked shots from Barry McNamee. Even during the dull, constipated first-half, Rovers had four scoring chances (three of these on target) and the hosts rustled up nine opportunities in the second period, with six of them finding the target.
Walter Figueira, even busier than he was against Shams, was responsible for four attempts that Finn Harps goalkeeper Mark McGinley denied. McGinley redeemed himself for the embarrassment of having his clearance blocked down by substitute Johnny Kenny, who netted six minutes after entering the fray.
Kenny, who has scored better goals for the club at U-17 and U-19 level, not to mention his stylish finishing for the first team in pre-season, never imagined that his first Bit O’Red senior strike would stem from pressing a defence. He earned his break, just as he has earned his run of appearances in the big time. There is more to come from this teenager.
For this game, Rovers manager Liam Buckley had the luxury of choosing almost the same starting XI. Only the matchday squad changed, with injuries ruling out Shane Blaney and Danny Kane. Buckley, outshouted by his defiant Harps counterpart Ollie Horgan (who seemed to appeal every throw-in and every free-kick not awarded to his team), was again served well by his defence. So far, there has been standout consistency from Ed McGinty, Colm Horgan, Garry Buckley, John Mahon and Robbie McCourt.
Engine room orchestrators Greg Bolger and Niall Morahan were also to the fore, Morahan especially cool in the dogged midfield exchanges.
There are no extra points awarded for beating Harps – and it was only by a one goal margin don’t forget – but it meant a lot for Rovers to emerge victorious from a battle such as this.