Finn Harps won their first game of the season with a 3-0 win over Shelbourne at Tolka Park.
Ollie Horgan’s men took the lead through Ethan Boyle while Conor Tourish made it 2-0 with his first Finn Harps goal in competitive action.
Filip Mihaljević did brilliant on the left wing to find Yoyo Mahdy and the forward played it back to Boyle who finished it under goalkeeper Webb just before half-time.
Tourish made it 2-0 when a Ryan Connolly free-kick was headed across the box by Ryan Rainey and Tourish knocked the ball in from a yard out.
Connolly again whipped in a set piece and Tourish got a touch to Mihaljević who hit the crossbar but the rebound fell to substitute Eric McWoods who knocked the ball into the net.
Harps went into the game looking for their first win of the season against a few familiar faces with Mark Coyle and Sean Boyd both started for the Tolka Park side and Dan Hawkins came on as a sub.
Shelbourne, only recently promoted, have enjoyed a return to the Premier Division so far with 6 points in their opening 6 games, but didn’t enjoy their start to tonights game.
Harps started on the front foot but couldn’t find the opener as Filip Mihaljević hit the crossbar twice in the opening six minutes.
The first chance came 2 minutes in from an Ethan Boyle throw-in and the Croatian strikers bicycle kick smashed off the crossbar.
Four minutes later Ryan Connolly played a free-kick short to Barry McNamee and his cross found Mihaljević but his header again met the woodwork.
Harps continued to have the only chances as a Yoyo Mahdy free-kick was saved well by Lewis Webb.
The Reds had their first real shot when Dan Carr did well out right along the byline and found Brian McManus but his shot went well over the bar.
On the 40 minute mark Jordan McEneff had a header go wide after Conor Kane did well on the left wing.
Harps took the lead just into added time of the first half when Mihaljević did well on the left wing and he crossed for Mahdy who laid it off to Ethan Boyle who smashed it under Lewis Webb in the Shelbourne net.
The Donegal side started the second half like they ended the first, with a big chance from a corner and there was a goalmouth scramble but nothing came of it.
On the hour mark, Harps made it 2-0.
A Connolly free-kick was headed across goal by Ryan Rainey to Mahdy who looked to get a flick but the last touch came from Conor Tourish for his first competitive goal for Finn Harps.
Shelbourne tried to get back into the game but created very little as Finn Harps defended well.
Connolly again whipped in a set piece and Tourish got a touch to Mihaljević who hit the crossbar for the third time in the game and the rebound fell to substitute Eric McWoods who knocked the ball into the net.
Harps move to 9th with 5 points as UCD picked up a point at home to Bohemians, moving them on to 3 points. Shelbourne stay 7th on 6 points, joint with Drogheda who beat Dundalk 1-0.
Finn Harps: Mark Anthony McGinley; Ethan Boyle, Conor Tourish, David Webster, José Carrillo, Ryan Connolly, Elié Gaël N’Zeyi, Barry McNamee, Ryan Rainey (Erol Erdal Alkan, 84 mins), Yoyo Mahdy (Eric McWoods, 71 mins), Filip Mihaljević (Mark Timlin, 90 mins).
Shelbourne: Lewis Webb; JR Wilson (Farrell, 45 mins), Conor Kane, Aaron O’Driscoll, Luke Byrne, Mark Coyle (Jad Hakiki, 71 mins), Kameron Ledwidge, Brian McManus (Aodh Dervin, 60 mins), Jordan McEneff (Stanley Anaebonan, 71 mins), Dan Carr, Sean Boyd (Dan Hawkins, 60 mins).
