Bohemians 3
Finn Harps 0
Report by Chris McNulty at Dalymount Park
THREE goals in the final 25 minutes of Friday night's clash at Dalymount Park saw Finn Harps crash to a three-nil defeat at soon-to-be champions Bohemians.
Despite doing well to contain the runaway League leaders for over an hour, the skeleton-thin Harps side couldn't prevent Jason McGuinness from heading home the first on 65 minutes - and further goals by Glen Crowe and Gary Deegan put a gloss on the scoreline.
For only the second time this season, the Harps team-sheet contained the name of Gary Beckett in the staring eleven. The former Derry City star lined out for only the second time in a competitive game in Harps colours - the first since a 2-0 home defeat in June, ironically also against Bohs.
The inclusion of Beckett in a five-man midfield was one of just two changes made by Paul Hegarty to the side that lost to Drogheda last week with Declan Boyle returning in place of the injured Jonathan Minnock.
Minus the suspended Neil McCafferty as well as injury victims Conor Gethins, Stuart Malcolm, Marc Brolly and Davy Byrne, Hegarty was forced to promote A team players Patrick Bonner and Christy Connaghan to the subs' bench. Both were given runs out near the finish.
Despite the depleted make-up of their squad, Harps acquitted themselves well in an opening half that certainly didn't illustrate the 43-point difference between the teams at the start of the game.
Indeed, two minutes before the break, Beckett almost gave Harps an unlikely lead, but a cracking shot from the Enniskillen man clipped the crossbar after a sublime flick took out two Bohs defenders, allowing him the chance to shoot.
Early on, Harps were restricted to shots from distance with Shaun McGowan having one deflected wide off Deegan and Michael Funston firing off-target after a good move engineered by Beckett that involved Parkhouse and Tyrell.
The front two of Crowe and Kalonas were busy throughout, but in the first-half Harps did well to contain them and curb the threats of Killian Brennan and Anto Murphy down the flanks.
They did have a couple of warning shots, though. Six minutes in, Murphy played in Kalonas, but Aaron Labonte made a timely interception and, after Crowe shot into the arms of James Gallagher, some heroics by Declan Boyle kept the Lithuanian at bay some time later when he tried to forge a path to goal.
Bohs had plenty of possession, but they were getting little change from Harps, who themselves looked promising at times. Having conceded just eight goals all season, 'keeper Brian Murphy was a relieved man to hear the clang of the crossbar when Beckett spotted an opening as the half drew to a close.
Two minutes shy of the hour mark, Stephen Parkhouse should have done better when presented with a chance from a clever crossfield ball by the lively Breen. Rather than taking a touch, the striker opted to shoot first time and his effort was wide of the mark. Seven minutes later, Jason McGuinness forced David Tyrell to head off the goal-line as he evaded the clutches of the Harps rearguard to meet Killian Brennan's corner. But, Harps hadn't learned the lesson and from the resulting delivery by Brennan, McGuinness again peeled away from Parkhouse and directed his header into the far corner.
Ten minutes later it was two-nil as Crowe nodded home from close range after Gallagher did well to parry Deegan's pile-driver.
Five minutes from the end, Deegan drove home from the edge of the box after being teed up by a clever cut-back from Neale Fenn. Again, McGuinness had lost his marker to nod down for Fenn.
This Friday night, Harps make another difficult away trip as Paul Hegarty takes his men to the Carlisle Grounds to face Bray Wanderers.
