Ollie Horgan has referenced a final day date with destiny at several junctures this season – but, even with the chequered flag in sight, the Finn Harps boss admits even that mightn’t be enough now.
Harps, following some damaging results, particularly at home in Finn Park, are two points from safety with only four games remaining in the 2017 season.
They’re not out of it just yet but with champions and in-form Dundalk visiting Finn Park on Saturday evening, a mammoth upsetting of the odds could work wonders down Navenny Street.
Next week, Harps are away to European hopefuls Derry City, doomed Drogheda United are in Ballybofey in a fortnight before that final evening clash with Bohemians at Dalymount Park on October 27.
“We’re hanging in there and please God we can still stay hanging in,” Horgan said.
“It will take an effort and always was going to take that effort to get to the last day. I wouldn’t say that was our aim, but we did say that it would be a decent season if we were in the last game with something to play for.
“We know we’re in a battle to get there.”
The season’s success will be measured on a simple scale: Whether or not Harps survive.
Stay up and it will be one of the club’s greatest-ever achievements, regardless of how miraculously they might manage it.
Go down, though, and the consequences could be grave.
“There is no expectation now,” Horgan says, “but we’re not gone.”
The Harps manager insists he doesn’t have a magic number in his mind, but adds that Harps will need ‘three results’ to stand a chance.
“If we don’t get three results, we might not be in the League. Is that our aim or our target? I wouldn’t say that but I do feel we need to get three points.
“We don’t have a target and never did. I don’t think anyone could call some of the results that have happened in the last few games – and results like that will happen again, I feel.
“Even now if we get three results, it might not be good enough – but we’ll take a cut off it.”
Of all their defeats this season, the three stand-outs are the home losses to Drogheda United, Galway United and Sligo Rovers; each of them following impressive wins on the road, at Derry City, Bray Wanderers and Limerick FC.
“If we were to have that run again, there is no guarantee that we’d get those points back,” Horgan says.
“Drogheda are a proper side with underage internationals and they have Derry a run for their money last week. Derry certainly didn’t run away with that game.
“Sligo are a proper side who were coming off a win in Cork when we played them and Galway, I always felt were in a false position.
“Are we the weak side? Possibly, I don’t know, but I hope not.”
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