PAUL Hegarty has backed Harps to kick back into gear on Tuesday night.
After a first defeat of the season on Saturday in Sligo, Harps face Longford Town on Tuesday.
The newly-promoted Midlanders pushed Shamrock Rovers all the way to the 93rd minute on Saturday but Hegarty believes Harps will respond to their first set-back of the year.
“Tuesday will be another tough game,” the Harps assistant manager told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“We’ll move on and there’ll be a kick out of us hopefully on Tuesday. We’ll move on quickly now. It’s good to get a game on Tuesday. It’s an unforgiving, tough league and there isn’t a lout between the teams at times.”
Sligo teenager Johnny Kenny netted in Saturday’s 1-0 win for Sligo, punishing an error by Harps ‘keeper Mark Anthony McGinley six minutes into the second half.
Ed McGinty, the Sligo goalkeeper, wasn’t tested by Harps and Hegarty admitted the Donegal side ‘got what we deserved’
He said: “Goals change games and the goal gave them confidence. We deserved nothing out of the game and you have to hold your hands up and move on.
“Karl (O’Sullivan) gave them a lot of trouble down the right hand side, but apart from that we didn’t lay a glove on them. Their ‘keeper didn’t have to work and that was disappointing.