It was a night when football seemed secondary as Matthew Stevens’ last-minute goal fire Sligo Rovers to victory over Finn Harps in the EA Sports Cup.
Finn Harps 0 Sligo Rovers 1
Stevens netted in the 115th minute of a game that paled into insignificance by the time the Sligo attacker stole in to prod home from a cross by Daniel Kearns.
Finn Harps goalkeeper Harry Doherty and defender Packie Mailey were taken to hospital by ambulance after an accidental clash of heads in the 69th minute.
The Harps duo both challenged for a long ball aimed in the direction of Sligo’s Chris Kenny and the game was stopped for 25 minutes to allow for treatment to the pair.
Mailey walked, aided, back into the Finn Park clubhouse, while Doherty was taken into the ambulance upon a stretcher.
The players were taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for assessment, though both were said to have regained consciousness following lengthy treatment by club physios Colm O’Neill and Tommy Scanlon and Finn Harps club doctor Paul Armstrong.
Harps manager Ollie Horgan was visibly upset as he returned to take his seat in the dugout and it was certainly a distressing sight for the 400-or-so in attendance.
In all, three Harps players were taken to hospital on the night with striker BJ Banda having been carried off in the first half.
Banda went down under a challenge close to the sideline in the 28th minute and after receiving extensive treatment, a stretcher was called.
Banda was taken by ambulance to hospital to have his injury assessed.
Banda, who was Man of the Match on Friday when Harps defeated Derry 2-0 at Maginn Park, was in for his first start of the season, but his night ended prematurely.
The loss of the 18-year-old is a further blow to Harps, with strikers Danny Morrissey and Ciaran O’Connor already out of action with hamstring injuries and will present Ollie Horgan with a headache for Friday’s League clash with Drogheda United.
Horgan gave a debut to Bonagee teenager Dylan McCroary while Drumkeen lad Gareth Doherty was given a first senior start as Harps rang the changes.
Only Damien McNulty, Ciaran Coll and Ethan Boyle survived in the XI from that which had started in Friday’s 2-0 win over Derry, although the goalscorers from that game – Banda and Michael Funston – were in from the off.
Kealan McDermott made his debut when coming in for Banda, while Ciaran Kelly also made a first appearance when replacing Ciaran Coll at the break.
Donegal town native Jack Keaney, having impressed for Sligo’s Under-19s, was handed a first team debut by the Bit O’Red’s interim manager, ex-Harps goalkeeper Declan McIntyre.
Between them, the sides made 16 changes (eight apiece) from their League games on Friday night and it never felt like an evening that was going to become a Cup classic.
Simon McGlynn broke through on the half-hour and should have, at least, drawn Patton into action, but the Raphoe man shot wide.
McGlynn had had the game’s first shot, but Patton saved his early attempt.
Sligo fashioned a decent opening in the 25th minute when Keaney nodded down a cross by Daniel Kearns for John Mahon.
As Mahon lined up the target, Thomas McMonagle stepped in with a brave intervention to block Mahon’s powerful shot.
Sligo could have been ahead on the hour, but Chris Kenny headed wide from a Tobi Adebayo-Rowling cross and Stevens’ close-range effort somehow managed to stay out soon after.
Stevens did, once the action got back underway, find the net, but by then it didn’t appear all that important and the thoughts of Finn Park were with the hospitalised players.
Finn Harps: Harry Doherty (Ciaran Gallagher 96); Damien McNulty, Packie Mailey, Thomas McMonagle; Michael Funston, Ethan Boyle, Gareth Doherty, Dylan McCroary, Ciaran Coll (Ciaran Kelly half-time); Simon McGlynn, BJ Banda (Kealan McDermott 28).
Sligo Rovers: Shaun Patton; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Kyle McFadden, John Mahon, Paul Doyle; Craig Roddan, Chris Kenny, Jack Keaney; Daniel Kearns, Matthew Stevens, Regan Donelon (Kieran Sadlier 96).
Referee: John McLoughlin.
