FINN HARPS 2 V 0 DROGHEDA UTD. The biggest crowd of the season at Finn Park, over 2000, saw Ollie Horgan’s side produce an excellent performance to advance to a Two Legged Promotion / Relegation final Play-off series against Limerick FC over the next two weeks to decide which team will play in the Premier Division next season. Harps may have been a little fortunate to bring home a 1-1 draw from last week’s first-leg at United Park but apart from a ten minute period just before half-time and with a big vocal support behind them they showed from the start why they have remained unbeaten in League games for so long , tonight’s result makes it twelve games without defeat since the 15th June. Harps made three changes from the drawn game with Paddy McCourt , Mark Coyle and last week’s goalscorer Nathan Boyle replacing Niall Logue ,Jesse Devers and the injured Gareth Harkin. They refused to let Drogheda Utd settle , closing them down quickly in all areas of the pitch and looked dangerous every time they went forward themselves. The first real chance arrived in the 10th minute when Referee Tomney allowed a good advantage after Nathan Boyle was fouled and Mikey Place weaved his way into the box but his shot flew past the far post. Drogheda hit back and had a couple of shots blocked in the penalty box and then Gareth McCaffrey just shot over after a loose ball broke into his path. Two minutes later Harps took the lead , Mark Timlin did well down the left side before sliding a low cross into the box , Nathan Boyle could have taken on the shot but decided to lay in off to John Kavanagh who coolly slotting the ball back into the far corner of the net, 1-0 to Harps. Charlie Collins was in Finn Park. Five minutes later they were nearly through again as Kavanagh found Mikey Place who then sent Boyle racing towards goal but keeper Paul Skinner was quickly out to deny him. 
In the 27th minute Paddy McCourt produced a super reverse pass to send Boyle away again but his cross flashed across the goalmouth to safety. Harps were pressing high up the pitch making it difficult for Drogheda to build from the back and forced to pump long balls forward without too much success. In the 42nd minute Drogheda created their best chance of the half , Sean Brennan sent Mark Doyle racing into the box and his low cross was just to far ahead of Gareth McCaffrey at the far post , a let-off for Harps as they dropped their tempo in the preceding minutes. At half-time it remained 1-0 to the home team but with plenty of work to do. 
Five minutes into the second-half it should have been 2-0 , Drogheda failed to deal with a Mark Timlin free-kick and after a bit of tennis heading the ball broke to Nathan Boyle ten yards out in front of goals but he somehow screwed his shot wide ,a big let-off for the visitors . Five minutes later they had another one as Harps pressed again and keeper Skinner made a super instinctive diving save to keep out Boyle’s goalbound drive. Harps on top but a second goal required one felt . 
That nearly came in the 58th minute when McCourt’s super pass found Mikey Place but again Skinner kept Drogheda in the tie with an excellent save and then turned Mark Timlin’s drive around the post for a Harps corner after which John Kavanagh’s curling shot was just too high , surely a second goal had to come. ? And it did in the 66th minute when Mark Coyle’s through ball found Nathan Boyle on the edge of the penalty and he brillantly turned his marker before slotted a Brillant left foot curler to the bottom corner , 2-0 and Harps you felt with one foot in the final play-off games against 2nd from bottom in the Premier Division. Drogheda huffed and puffed in the latter stages , making three substitutions and forcing a few free-kicks in dangerous positions but never really troubled Ciaran Gallagher. Harps replaced McCourt and Boyle to rousing receptions from the big home support and now can get prepared for yet another play-off to earn a return to Premier Division. Finn Harps ; Ciaran Gallagher , John Kavanagh , Ciaran Coll , Jacob Borg , Keith Cowan , Sam Todd , Mark Coyle , Mikey Place ( John O Flynn 90mins ), Paddy McCourt ( Niall Logue 74mins ) , Mark Timlin , Nathan Boyle ( Jesse Devers 78mins ) , . Subs not used ; Timmy Sobowale , Aiden Friel , Peter Burke ( G/K ). Drogheda Utd ; Paul Skinner , Colm Deasy , Conor Kane , Kevin Farragher , Luke Gallagher , Sean Brennan , Mark Doyle , Ciaran Kelly , William Hondermarck , Richie Purdy , Gareth McCaffrey . Subs ; Lee Duffy for Hondermarck ( 58mins ) , Robert Manley for Deasy ( 65mins) Janabi Amour for McCaffrey ( 70mins ). Referee ; Derek Tomney .
