FOOTBALL – Harps hoping to end Bray run: In-form Bray Wanderers are the visitors to Finn Park on this Friday night (kick-off 8.00) with Ollie Horgan’s side remaining focused on getting enough points to avoid the play-off place in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Wexford Youths currently occupy that spot, so the aim is to stay above Shane Keegan’s side.
However, that is going to be a very difficult ask against a side that has a better results record in the last two months than the top two teams in the Premier Division: Dundalk and Cork City, But Harps will go into the game in a happier frame of mind after the draw against Sligo Rovers on Tuesday night.
Harry Kenny has done a great job at the Carlisle Grounds and while there is no hope of European football this season, the Co. Wicklow team still want to finish as far up the Premier table as possible. Harps haven’t picked up a point at home since early July so there is still a lot of pressure on the hosts to get something from this game on home turf. In team news Horgan is going to be critically short of attacking options with striker Ruairi Keating definitely out after sustaining ankle ligament damage early in the first half against Sligo Rovers on Tuesday night. Another forward, Dave Scully, is ruled out again as he completes a two-match suspension while veteran attacker Kevin McHugh will also be absent after sustaining a serious hand injury on Wednesday evening during an underage coaching session that he was conducting at the Aura. Adam Hanlon is also a doubt due to a persistent knee problem.
That would appear to signal that Ryan Curran will start up front with B.J. Banda as the back-up striker on the bench. On the plus side, Ciaran Coll is expected to return to the starting 11 after missing the Sligo trip due to a one-match ban and Tony McNamee could also feature from the start after being used as a sub on Tuesday night. The manager will also have Tommy McMonagle back after the defender did not feature in the squad at the Showgounds and young Burt lad Mark Coyle will again be part of the matchday squad. Ollie Horgan is hoping that Bray’s form dips in Ballybofey as the Wicklow side is on a 13-match unbeaten run. “The stats show that Bray actually has a better results record than Dundalk and Cork City recently. So that shows you the scale of the challenge that we are facing at Finn Park tomorrow night. Harry Kenny strengthened his squad mid-season with three or four quality signings. I saw them play recently and they were really impressive” Horgan said.
Team News
Suspended: Dave Scully
Unavailable: Josh Mailey
Doubtful: Adam Hanlon
Injured: Kevin McHugh, Ruairi Keating
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RECORD AGAINST BRAY WANDERERS (All Competitions)
Saturday’s game will be the 57th meeting of the two clubs, and the 28th to be played at the Carlisle Grounds.
Total Games: 56 (28 at Finn Park)
Harps Wins: 19 (11 in Finn Park)
Bray Wins: 19 (11 in Finn Park)
Draws: 18 (7 in Finn Park)
Harps Goals: 60 (33 in Finn Park)
Bray Goals: 59 (20 in Finn Park)
LAST 10 GAMES v BRAY WANDERERS
16-Jul-04 Bray Wanderers 0-0 Finn Harps (First Division)
23-Oct-04 Finn Harps 2-0 Bray Wanderers (First Division)
28-May-05 Finn Harps 1-2 Bray Wanderers (Premier Division)
19-Aug-05 Bray Wanderers 2-1 Finn Harps (Premier Division)
18-Nov-05 Finn Harps 2-4 Bray Wanderers (Premier Division)
04-Apr-08 Bray Wanderers 1-0 Finn Harps (Premier Division)
27-Jun-08 Finn Harps 1-0 Bray Wanderers (Premier Division)
26-Sep-08 Bray Wanderers 0-1 Finn Harps (Premier Division)
15-Apr-16 Finn Harps 1-0 Bray Wanderers (Premier Division)
16-Jul-16 Bray Wanderers 1-0 Finn Harps (Premier Division)
OUR LAST MEETING WITH BRAY WANDERERS
Saturday 16th Julyl 2016. Carlisle Grounds. League of Ireland Premier Division.
Bray Wanderers 1-0 Finn Harps Conor Kenna (32 mins).
Bray Wanderers – Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas, Conor Kenna, Tim Clancy, Kevin Lynch; John Sullivan; Karl Moore (Gareth McDonagh 74), Ryan Brennan, Darragh Noone (Ger Pender 89), Dylan Connolly; Andrew Lewis.
Finn Harps – Richard Brush; Damien McNulty (Michael Funston 63), Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan; Ethan Boyle, Adam Hanlon, Barry Molloy, Sean Houston, Josh Mailey; Dave Scully (Raymond Foy 63), Kevin McHugh (Ruairi Keating h/t). Not used: Ryan Curran, Tommy McMonagle, Liam Flatley, Ciaran Gallagher (GK).
Ref: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
FINN HARPS GOALSCORERS 2016
Ryan Curran – 6
Sean Houston – 4
David Scully – 3
Kevin McHugh – 1
Damien McNulty – 1
Josh Mailey – 1
Tony McNamee – 1
Ruairi Keating – 1
Adam Hanlon – 1
Ethan Boyle – 1 (in League Cup)
FINN HARPS RESULTS 2016
Fri 04-Mar Finn Harps 2-1 Derry City
Fri 11-Mar Dundalk 3–0 Finn Harps
Mon 14-Mar Finn Harps 0-1 Shamrock Rovers
Sat 19-Mar Sligo Rovers 1-1 Finn Harps
Tue 22-Mar Finn Harps 1-0 Cockhill Celtic (League Cup)
Sat 26-Mar Finn Harps 1-0 Longford Town
Fri 08-Apr Galway United 1-0 Finn Harps
Mon 11-Apr Finn Harps 1-2 St. Patrick’s Athletic
Fri 15-Apr Finn Harps 1-0 Bray Wanderers
Mon 18-Apr Galway United 0-0 Finn Harps (League Cup) – Galway won 4-2 on pens.
Fri 22-Apr Cork City 3-1 Finn Harps
Fri 29-Apr Wexford Youths 1-1 Finn Harps
Fri 06-May Finn Harps 0-0 Bohemians
Tue 10-May Derry City 2–2 Finn Harps
Fri 13-May Finn Harps 0-7 Dundalk
Tue 20-May St. Patrick’s Athletic 4-0 Finn Harps
Sat 21 May Finn Harps 0-1 Crumlin United (FAI Cup)
Sun 29-May Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Finn Harps
Fri 3-Jun Finn Harps 3-0 Sligo Rovers
Sat 25-Jun Longford Town 0-2 Finn Harps
Fri 08-Jul Finn Harps 1-0 Galway United
Sat 16-Jul Bray Wanderers 1-0 Finn Harps
Fri 29-Jul Finn Harps 0-1 Wexford Youths
Fri 05-Aug Bohemians 2-0 Finn Harps
Fri 12-Aug Finn Harps 0-5 Derry City
Fri 26-Aug Finn Harps 0-2 Shamrock Rovers
Mon 12-Sep Dundalk 2-0 Finn Harps
Fri 16-Sep Finn Harps 0-1 Longford Town
Mon 19-Sep Finn Harps 0-1 Cork City
Sat 01-Oct Galway Utd 3-2 Finn Harps
Tue 04-Oct Sligo Rovers 0-0 Finn Harps
FINN HARPS REMAINING FIXTURES 2016
Fri 07-Oct Bray Wanderers (h)
Tue-11-Oct St. Patrick’s Athletic (h)
Fri 14-Oct Cork City (a)
Fri 21-Oct Wexford Youths (a)
Fri 28-Oct Bohemians (h)
Compiled by Finn Harps Media Team. Email: fhfcmedia@finnharps.com
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