With the ghost given up on league honours or promotion hopes, Peter Hutton experimented with his starting line-up against Mervue Utd at Finn Park.
With four games left and no chance of a play-off place, the Finn Harps boss gave a number of players a chance.
But only the former Derry City player will know what insight he got from tonight’s non-eventful encounter as Mervue ground out a 2-0 win.
A number of players including Jordan Duffy and Marty Owens, who wouldn’t normally be in the shake-down for a starting eleven, got the nod.
The game was only five minutes old when the Galway side went away in fortunate circumstances.
Jason Molloy cut on from the left wing and his deflected shot deceived Ciaran Gallagher to make it 1-0 for the visitors.
The lively Paul McVeigh almost got Harps back on level terms on 12 minutes when his curler brought a fine save from Conor O’Malley.
What started off as a lively enough counter soon fizzled off for the remainder of the half.
In the second half Michael Funston had a 20 yard effort easily saved while Michael Duffy should have doubled his side’s advantage but blazed over from close range.
Ryan Manning did manage to grab that second goal for Mervue when he drilled home from Molloy’s cross in the 74th minute.
It was the last real action of a game which lived up to the bill of it being a non-event for ether side.
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