Finn Harps..........2

Cobh Ramblers.....2
By Chris McNulty

WITH just twenty seconds of injury time left on the clock on Friday night, Daryl Kavanagh struck a dramatic equaliser for Cobh Ramblers to deny Finn Harps victory in a relegation six-pointer at Finn Park on Friday night.

Although the draw lifts the Ballybofey side out of the drop zone, the fact that they let a two-goal lead slip away was a sore point among the poor crowd of little more than 500 as they trundled away in frustration.

New signings Neil McCafferty and Davy Byrne scored their first Harps goals and looked to have secured first back-to-back League victories for the club this season. However, a Davin O'Neill penalty shortly after the hour mark, just over a minute after Byrne netted Harps' second, brought Cobh back into the contest.

Yet, Harps looked to have held out for a win that would have lifted them some nine points above Cobh - and three above the dreaded relegation zone. It has been a turbulent week for the Ramblers, though, with a blow-by-blow account of their financial troubles having been published in the national press during the week.

But it was they who departed the happier of the two sides as Kavanagh was on the end of a hopeful into the box and he could scarcely believe his luck as he had time to slide the ball under the body of James Gallagher with time fast approaching the three minutes of allotted added-on time.

Paul Hegarty's starting eleven showed three alterations from that which begun against Shamrock Rovers a fortnight earlier. Suspension prevented Stephen Parkhouse from playing while injury ruled Shaun McGowan and Declan Boyle out of the equation.

Michael Funston returned from a ban while Davy Byrne and Chris Breen were the others to profit and be recalled.

Neither team had played since their last League game two weeks ago, both having already exited the FAI Cup. John Kearney came in for Ken Coleman in the only change made to the Ramblers line-up.

Harps had a couple of early warning shots with Colin O'Brien having a tenth minute effort that clipped the crossbar on the way over while Daryl Kavanagh just couldn't keep his balance and volleyed over. Kavanagh then flashed one wide of the target from 25 yards.

In between times, Harps' first opening saw the lively Michael Funston power his way into the box to get a sight of goal, but from ten yards the midfielder was denied by James McCarthy, who was on hand to pick up the pieces before the Bonagee man could get a touch to the rebound.

Just after the half-hour mark, Harps hit the front in delightful fashion. Shaun Holmes and Marc Brolly had a hand in the build-up that led to Neil McCafferty picking up possession 20 yards out. The midfielder skilfully turned onto his left foot and cracked home his first goal for the club, giving James McCarthy no chance with a perfect finish.

Chris Breen could have made it two before half-time, but he shot at the goalkeeper when he spun onto his left boot after being set-up by Funston's nod-down. Eight minutes into the second-half, Mikey O'Shea connected with a cross by O'Neill, but the striker couldn't keep his header down.

Harps doubled their advantage a minute shy of the hour mark. A poor clearance out of defence found the feet of Chris Breen and instead of taking the option of having a pop, he played in Davy Byrne, who took a touch before driving home from with a neat strike.

For the second home game in succession, however, Byrne was forced to limp off with injury, the ex Athlone Town man hobbling off twelve minutes from time to be replaced by Shaun McGowan.

The home team's two-goal cushion stood for just two minutes, however. Funston was penalised by referee Dave McKeown for a needless foul on Kavanagh and Davin O'Neill stepped up to slot the resulting spot-kick past James Gallagher.

Shaun Holmes came within a whisker of adding a third, but the full-back drove a low effort wide after Gethins rolled a free-kick into his path. Kavanagh had an 87th minute effort deflected wide by Minnock, but with what was almost the last kick of the game, he made up for it as he fired low under the body of Gallagher from close range.