By Aidan O'Donnell
FINN Harps produced without doubt their most assured performance all season to defeat high flying Sporting Fingal at Finn Park on Saturday night - their first win against a top four side. Such superlatives like courageous and inspirational would be appropriate but at the same time a huge understatement to this performance, for it had a lot more.
Gallagher's Harps have been showing these admirable traits for some time now, but against The Northsiders they also showed class, resilience, discipline and maturity - things to be critical have been missing from the Ballybofey side's locker room this season.
After falling behind to a Conan Byrne goal midway through the first half, Harps responded with goals from Packie Mailey and Fintan Bonner to go in at the break rightfully ahead. They then pushed on with Shaun Houston adding Harps' third while Fingal substitute Daniel Corcoran pulled a goal back deep in stoppage time to set up a grand stand finale, but thankfully for Harps it proved slight consolation.
In what was Marc Mukendi's last game for the club before his move to Coleraine, the centre half produced one of his best performances in the blue of Finn Harps.
Mukendi as well as Packie Mailey at the heart of defence were instrumental in cutting out the threat of Eamon Zayed and Gary O'Neill. The pair along with Christy Conaghan and Shaun Houston were all notable performers in what was otherwise a complete team performance from Gallagher's side.
It was clear from the off that Harps had belief in their game as they showed a great mentality to take the game to Fingal and in all honesty, bossed it from beginning to end.
The buccaneering Christy Conaghan was a thorn in Fingal's side all night and it was he who had the first real chance after three minutes.
After a rampaging run down the right, Conaghan was granted time and space in the box but unfortunately his cross-shot was diverted wayward for a corner by the Fingal defence.
Moments later though and Fingal had a chance themselves when Gary O'Neill managed to beat the offside trap only to stutter his run in to the advancing Ciaran Gallagher. Conaghan again threatened at the other end when both Shaun McGowan and Packie Mailey teed up the winger who showed a great touch to fire his attempt inches wide of the post.
While Harps undoubtedly looked the better side, there were was no mistaking the Dublin side's class and experience and on numerous occasions showed they didn't need any invitations to trouble the Harps rearguard.
On nineteen minutes, Gary O'Neill flicked dangerously wide of Gallagher's goal frame from barley four yards out.
Minutes later and they had an equally clear cut chance when both Zayed and O'Neill combined to set up Byrne but with just Gallagher to beat from close range, blazed his shot well wide of the mark.
A minute later however and Fingal did make the breakthrough when Alan Kirby beat Gallagher to a breaking ball and from the angle crossed for Byrne to head home unmarked from close range. Harps though responded in immense fashion. On thirty one minutes, Packie Mailey took control of the ball around the half way line before advancing some fifteen yards and after shaking off the challenge off Robert Bayley, produced a delightful curling shot into the top corner that gave Darren Quigley no chance.
They then took the lead seven minutes from the break when an in swinging corner from Conaghan was sent back across goal by Houston that found Fintan Bonner who willingly tapped home from a matter of yards and mark his first start for the club with his first senior goal.
The score-line at half time was a true and honest vindication of how the game panned out over the opening forty five.
However, unlike the first, the second half was not as action packed but from a Harps angle, equally measured and controlled.
The lead was doubled just before the hour mark when a long ball up top fell kindly for Shaun Houston who then showed strength, control and above all, precision to hold off his markers and guide past Quigley. Buckley's side again made it known they aren't second in the table for nothing and had quite a few chances to reel in their hosts.
The most notable came on the sixty forth minute when Gary O'Neill was sent through on goal and when it seemed he had just Gallagher to see off, Ian Rossiter came from nowhere to produce a storming last ditch tackle and divert the danger.
Fintan Bonner who played in large parts as the lone front man, had two half chances for himself as the game progressed but on each occasion the target just evaded him.
Fingal grabbed a lifeline in the first minute of stoppage time when Zayed and sub Daniel Corcoran combined which the latter finished off.
Harps though held out to maintain their unbeaten run that now stretches to five in the league.
However, despite staying in eighth place due to Monaghan's win over Limerick, Harps remain on the coattails of their pursuers and with great momentum and confidence can look forward to another tough obstacle in the shape of Waterford United this coming weekend.
