Soccer

Airtricity League round-up: Finn Harps relegated after UCD defeat

Dundalk secure return to European football next season after beating Bohs

UCD’s Michael Gallagher with Rob Jones of Finn Harps. Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho
UCD’s Michael Gallagher with Rob Jones of Finn Harps. Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho
Fri Oct 28 2022 - 22:10

Finn Harps 1 UCD 3

UCD came from behind to beat Finn Harps and relegate the Donegal club to Division One after four seasons in the top flight.

Harps took the lead in the first half through a Conor Tourish header but the students equalised within 30 seconds courtesy of a cracking long-range effort from Mark Dignam.

And Tommy Lonergan then bagged a brace after the break to ensure that UCD got the victory that will earn them a promotion/relegation play-off date irrespective of what happens in the final series of games next week.

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UCD had the first real chances, with a Jack Keaney free that was comfortably saved, a Sean Brennan long-range effort wide of the target, and a close-range header from Dara Keane that wrestled up in the side-netting.

However, Harps took the lead in the 29th minute when Tourish got on to the end of a Regan Donelan free to head home.

But UCD were back on level terms straight from the kick-off when Dignam — who got his first goal of the season earlier in the week in the 1-1 draw with Shelbourne  — let fly with a rocket of a shot from over 30 yards that stunned the Finn Park faithful.

Harps almost restored their lead in the 35th minute with Kian Moore going full stretch to tip over a Donelan free.

At the other end during an increasingly entertaining contest, Dignam saw another fine effort smacking off the foot of the post before half-time while Donelan had a curling free that was narrowly wide.

Tommy Longeran then broke through the Harps defence as he latched on to a Dara Keane pass and plant the ball past James McKeown in the 72nd minute to make it 2-1.

And five minutes later UCD were awarded a penalty for handball against Tourish which was duly dispatched into the net from the spot by Lonergan.

Finn Harps: McKeown; Boyle, Slevin, Tourish, Donelon (Nicholson 6, 63 mins); Boylan, Connolly, McNamee; Siaj (Duncan, 78 mins); Mihaljevic, Jones (Rainey, 63 mins)

UCD: Moore; Gallagher, Keaney, Todd, Osam (Higgins, 87 mins); Brennan, Caffrey; Nolan (O’Brien, 87 mins), Keane, Dignam; Lonergan (Haist, 90 mins).

Referee: N. Doyle (Dublin)

Dundalk 2 Bohemians 1

Dundalk secured their return to European football next season after overcoming a late scare to hold out for victory over Bohemians at Casey’s Field last night.

First-half goals from David McMillan and Runar Hauge put Stephen O’Donnell’s side in the driving seat but an Ethon Varian header with a minute remaining briefly threatened to spoil the party.

In the end the home side held out for a result which will see them take part in next summer’s Europa Conference League qualifiers.

While Dundalk can still potentially finish second, this result — coupled with Sligo Rovers’ win over St Patrick’s Athletic at The Showgrounds — means that the Inchicore outfit cannot catch them for third place.

It was Declan Devine’s side who enjoyed the majority of possession though with Liam Burt twice early on before the home side hit the front against the run of play on 21 minutes as McMillan stepped up to curl a superb free kick past 17-year-old debutant goalkeeper Reece Byrne to the top left hand corner.

The Louth men then doubled their advantage on 39 minutes with a superb goal on the break.

It was initiated by Alfie Lewis, who won possession back before finding McMillan. He then released Hauge, who did well to race clear of Max Murphy before slotting under Byrne.

It was Bohs who bossed the second-half proceedings but they struggled to find a way past Nathan Shepperd for the most part as he made a stunning point blank save from Ciaran Kelly on 59 minutes.

They eventually broke the home side’s resolve with a minute left when Varian headed in from Flores’s corner but Dundalk held out for a lucrative three points.

Dundalk: Shepperd; Mountney, Macari, Boyle, Leahy; Lewis, Bone; Hauge (Adams 64), Bradley, O’Kane (Keith Ward 77); McMillan (Martin 76).

Bohemians: Byrne; Doherty, Feely, Kelly, Murphy (Mullins 79); McManus, Flores; Twardek (McDaid 48), Clarke, Burt; Varian.

Referee: Adriano Reale (Kildare).

Sligo Rovers 1 St Pat’s 0

Derry City must win the FAI Cup if St Patrick’s Athletic are to play European football next season after the Saints were beaten by Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.

Aidan Keena smashed home his 20th goal of the season in the second half of this game. This result, coupled with Dundalk’s win over Bohemians means Pat’s cannot catch the Lilywhites in third.

Tim Clancy’s side must now rely on Derry beating Shelbourne in the cup decider if they are to play Europa Conference League football in 2023.

It was the visitors who were almost gifted an early lead when Rovers goalkeeper Richard Brush stumbled as he controlled Nando Pijnaker’s underhit back pass. The veteran goalkeeper recovering just in time to stop Eoin Doyle from close range.

Clear cut chances were at a premium in this opening half. Sligo youngster Kalin Barlow, who this week signed a three-year deal, saw his snapshot from the edge of the area sail narrowly wide. Pat’s had the best opening of the half six minutes from time.

Adam O’Reilly’s through ball found Chris Forrester whose finish was enough to see the ball past Brush but not the quick recovery of Colm Horgan, who managed to get back in time to clear the ball off the line.

The second half, delayed due to crowd issues, was nine minutes old when Rovers went ahead. Paddy Barrett fumbling Keena to the floor inside the Pat’s area before the Mullingar man rifled the ball past Odumosu from 12 yards for his 20th goal of the season in all competitions.

Sam Curtis forced another save from Brush after fine work from Eoin Doyle on 64 minutes, while the same man’s cross caused panic in the Rovers area a few minutes later, but Brush gathered the loose ball.

Brush was on call again to get a touch to substitute Ben McCormack’s first time effort 10 minutes from time as the Dubliners failed in their search for an equaliser.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Colm Horgan, Lewis Banks, Nando Pijnaker, Paddy Kirk (Eanna Clancy 70); Adam McDonnell, Greg Bolger (Robbie Burton 51); Frank Liivak, Will Fitzgerald; Kailin Barlow (Karl O’Sullivan 87); Aidan Keena.

St Patrick’s Athletic: David Odumosu; Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Paddy Barrett (Mark Doyle 68); Sam Curtis, Barry Cotter; Thijs Timmermans, Adam O’Reilly (Ben McCormack 77), Chris Forrester; Serge Atakayi (Billy King 63); Eoin Doyle.

Referee: John McLoughlin.

Shelbourne 6 Drogheda United 0

Sean Boyd scored a brace of penalties as Shelbourne ended their drought of 11 league games without a win in some style at Tolka Park.

Their biggest victory of the season in their final home match of the campaign was just the tonic for Damien Duff’s FAI Cup finalists in front of Ruaidhri Higgins, manager of Derry City, their opponents at the Aviva Stadium on November 13th.

Shelbourne were in front on eight minutes. Shane Farrell’s corner was nodded down by Stephan Negru to Jack Moylan to sweep the ball home at the back post.

Brimming with confidence, Reds doubled their lead seven minutes later.

The skilful Moylan was instrumental, slipping John Ross Wilson in down the inside right channel for the wingback to drill a drive past Colin McCabe.

A reeling Drogheda found themselves 3-0 down within a further seven minutes when Gavin Molloy was fouled inside the area from JJ Lunney’s free kick.

Boyd, back from a two-match suspension, sent McCabe the wrong way to score emphatically from 12 yards.

The big striker had only another 10 minutes to wait to increase rampant Shelbourne’s lead as they were awarded another penalty when Dylan Grimes bundled Matty Smith to the ground.

Boyd once more sent McCabe the wrong way from the spot, the sixth penalty of his 11 league strikes this campaign.

Smith added a fifth goal on 63 minutes, powering a shot to the net after Keith Cowan’s clearance from Kameron Ledwidge’s cross ran straight to the Scot.

Substitute Aodh Dervin completed the rout on 88 minutes, scoring with a deflected shot from the edge of the area for his first goal for the club.

Shelbourne: Clarke; Negru, Byrne (Ledwidge, h-t), Griffin; Lunney (Dervin, 68), Molloy; Wilson (McManus, 62), Smith, Farrell (Coyle, 62); Moylan, Boyd (Carr, 68).

Drogheda United: McCabe; Nugent, Quinn, Cowan, Massey; Brennan (Arong, 69), Topcu; Grimes, Markey (Stanic-Floody, 58), Rooney (Molloy, h-t); Lyons (Williams, 28).

Referee: Mark Moynihan (Cork).