Finn Harps moved to within two points of seventh-placed Bohemians as Ollie Horgan’s men defeated the Gypsies in Ballybofey tonight.
Finn Harps 2 Bohemians 1
Eddie Dsane (pictured by Joe Boland, North West Newspix) and Sean Houston netted as Harps claimed their second win in as many games after coming from a goal down to go four points clear of the drop zone.
Houston struck gold in the 58th minute as he started and then finished the match-winning move.
The Letterkenny man won possession back for the Harps and, after Caolan McAleer touched it onto Paddy McCourt, the former Celtic attacker fed Houston with a delightful pass and Houston fired home.
Dsane, who last week netted his first Harps goal in the 2-0 win over Drogheda, cancelled out Dinny Corcoran’s opener with a gorgeous equaliser in the 34th minute.
After a Caolan McAleer cross was headed into his path, Dsane took control on his chest before sending a brilliant effort past the helpless Shane Supple in the Bohs goal.
Harps gave a late debut to French-born striker Ibrahim Keita, who has joined the club from Doxa Proskyniton in Greece, having had spells at Kosice in Slovakia and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Five minutes before Dsane’s strike, Bohs hit the front when Corcoran latched onto a fine ball over the top from Keith Ward and his first-time volley flew past Ciaran Gallagher, the Harps ‘keeper who was making his 200th appearance for the club.
Harps had some good early chances with Packie Mailey headed at Supple from a deep McAleer cross while Sean Houston had too much elevation on an attempt from 20 yards.
McAleer swung in another teasing, inviting delivery in the seventh minute, but the diving Danny Morrissey just couldn’t connect.
In added time at the end of the half, McCourt played in Dsane, whose shot rolled narrowly wide of the far post.
Horgan showed one change to named eleven from the 2-0 win over Drogheda United last week as Gareth Harkin came in for McCourt – who replaced the injured Danny Morrissey late in the half.
However, Harps were forced into another change pre-match when Ethan Boyle, who had been named in the starting XI, had to cry off with Barry Molloy elevated.
In between the goals, Harkin forced Supple into a save from a close-range shot having been teed by McAleer.
Houston might have extended the lead after good work by Dsane on the bye-line created the opening but on this occasion his shot was too tame, while McAleer curled another over the target.
Six minutes from time, Dsane cane close to replicating his strike from last week against Drogheda, but a 20-yard free whizzed wide.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Damien McNulty, Packie Mailey, Kilian Cantwell, Ciaran Coll; Caolan McAleer, Barry Molloy, Gareth Harkin, Eddie Dsane (Ibrahim Keita 85); Sean Houston; Danny Morrissey (Paddy McCourt 42).
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Dan Casey, Rob Cornwall, Dan Byrne; Lorcan Fitzgerald (Ishmail Akinade 75); George Poynton, Philip Gannon, Fuad Sule (Oscar Brennan 65), Ian Morris; Dinny Corcoran, Keith Ward.
Referee: Derek Tomney.
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