Finn Harp Legends.....2
Liverpool Legends.....2
By Chris McNulty
A THROWBACK to the glory days of Liverpool Football Club at Finn Park Ballybofey on Saturday evening saw the Liverpool Legends play out a two-all draw with a Finn Harps Legends XI, before a crowd of around 2,000 in wintery conditions.
Niall Bonner and Kenny Harkin netted the goals to give home fans a treat before the large crowd of local Liverpool followers had reasons to cheer as strikes from Michael Thomas and Don Hutchinson levelled the scoring before the break.
The Liverpool side arrived with some of the most famous names in soccer history with captain of the team being the former Republic of Ireland striker John Aldridge, who lined out alongside the like of Jason McAteer, Alan Kennedy, Phil Neal and Michael Thomas.
The Harps Legends XI included former Republic of Ireland and Glasgow Celtic star Packie Bonner. The home outfit was captained by the first Donegal man to score 100 League of Ireland goals, Con McLaughlin, and the side included such illustrious Harps heroes as Shane 'Rita' Bradley, Maurice Toland, Harry Walsh, Johnny Kenny, Paul Hegarty and Donal O'Brien.
The Harps XI came close to scoring early with Johnny Kenny just failing to get a touch to a McGrenaghan cross and then Kenny Harkin missed out on a connection when he slid into meet a cross from Kenny.
On 21 minutes, Harps opened the scoring, through the youngest legend on show. Local lad Niall Bonner, a sparkling winger for the club during the recent management days of Johnny Speak, raced onto a through ball before rounding 'keeper Bob Boulder to walk the ball home, to the delight of his comrades of the FBTN on the Town End Terrace.
Soon after it was two nil as one Kenny teed up the other - the 'Riverstown Flyer' Johnny Kenny providing the telling cross for Highland Radio's Kenny Harkin to tap home.
Michael Thomas pulled one back on 31 as he fired first-time to the net from an Aldridge cut-back and Liverpool got back on terms three minutes later when Don Hutchinson clipped home a 20-yard free kick.
Jim Sheridan, the captain of the 1974 FAI Cup winning team came on for the final ten minutes and among the subs used by the Harps side in part two were goalkeeper Joe Harper, Anthony Gorman and Sean McGowan snr while local radio DJ John Breslin and lucky Fanad man Gareth Strain (who won a competition to be part of the 'Pool squad) came on for memorable appearances on the Liverpool outfit.
