Tony McNamee netted his fourth goal of the campaign in the final stages of the game as Finn Harps ended a run of four games without a win.
By Stuart Connolly at Finn Park with pics by Joe Boland
Vast portions of this game went by in a flash as clear cut chances evaded both sets of players.
Similar to the game on the 29th of March, Tony McNamee scored the only goal of the game to put another three points on the board for Finn Harps.
The victory and clean sheet has pushed them up to third in the standings.
Tommy Barrett’s Treaty United started the season in enviable form, winning their first three outings but the last couple of months have been a struggle, as they’ve failed to win any of the last eight.
Barrett made just one change to the side that lost at Market’s Field last weekend against UCD with Alec Byrne in for Leon Kirrane.
Darren Murphy made three times as many changes to his side with David Cawley welcomed back into the starting lineup after injury. Mark Mbuli was brought in too while 18-year-old Academy Graduate Max Johnston was given his first start for the club.
Similar to their opposition, Harps’ form had also dipped and that showed in the last three games which ended in defeat and a failing to score.
Harps had an early opportunity in this game to put that goal drought behind them. On the counter attack, Tony McNamee played through Mark Mbuli and his touch took him beyond Oisin O’Reilly but the final strike was narrowly wide of the target.
Half an hour into the contest, shots on goal were sporadic at best. A touchline war of words between Darren Murphy and Tommy Barrett had sparked but that feud was short-lived as Harps went close with another chance.
Mbuli made the initial run and after Johnston’s shot was blocked, it rolled invitingly into the path of David Cawley and his effort looked bound for the bottom corner until a deflection changed its course.
Into the second-half, with another 45 minutes gone and in the history books, Harps had gone over six hours without the finding the back of the net.
Chances remained rare but those that did pop up fell to those in blue and white. Noe Baba had a goal bound effort saved and Treaty United managed their first real opening of the game with over a hour gone. Stephen Christopher set up Lee Devitt but his well struck volley was wide of the mark.
This encounter between the two was beginning to look like a mirror image of the game in Market’s Field at the end of March and with a little over ten minutes to go, McNamee popped up for a moment of déjà vu.
Played through the middle of the area, McNamee’s first touch allowed him the freedom to stare down Corey Chambers and slot the ball into the bottom right corner.
Success Edogun almost doubled that lead a moment or two later but his strike was saved at the near post by Chambers.
Treaty did force the issue with a couple of late set-pieces but Harps’ defence held out in the final moments.
Finn Harps: Tim-Oliver Heimer; Jamie Watson, Noe Baba, Matthew Makinson, Luke O’Brien; David Cawley(Darragh Coyle 83), Ryan Rainey, Tony McNamee, Mark Mbuli(Sean O’Donnell 64); Success Edogun(Patrick Ferry 87) Max Johnston.
Treaty United: Corey Chambers; Robbie Lynch(Evan O’Connor 73), Ben O’Riordan, Mark Walsh, Oisin O’Reilly; Alec Byrne, Scott Kirkland(Nikodem Kozlowski 89), Thomas Considine, Lee Devitt; Stephen Christopher, Mark Byrne(Richkov Boevi 89)
Referee: Oliver Moran.
Captain Supremo McNamee drags Harps back to winning ways was last modified: May 3rd, 2024 by
