eircom League: Play-off final overshadowed by refereeing error

eircom League Promotion/Relegation Play-off: Final First Leg:

FINN HARPS 0

DERRY CITY 0

at Finn Park, Ballybofey

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A deflected Damien Whitehead effort with six minutes remaining was undoubtedly the best chance that fell to either side, but both will have to search again for that vital first goal in Saturday night’s second leg at the Brandywell (kick-off 7.30pm).

In the 49th meeting between these north-west rivals of which Harps have only won on five occasions, Derry looked to start the stronger with a 10th minute chance for Gareth McGlynn, replacing the suspended Ciaran Martyn, and defender Robbie Hedderman’s 35-yard half volley almost catching out Gary Ramsey in the Harps’ goal on 27 minutes, but an unchanged Harps side took a stranglehold on possession soon after.

With Paddy McGrenaghan and Niall Bonner finding joy out wide, Harps saw Kevin McHugh shoot over from a Jonathan Minnock lay-off on 20 minutes and Bonner almost nip in ahead of Paddy McLaughlin in the Derry box in the 32nd minute, following a mistake by Derry’s Peter Hutton. Almost immediately City hit back with a chance for Gary Beckett, but with the goal in the striker’s sights, Declan Boyle slipped in with a great block tackle.

The majority of a vocal 6,500 attendance had a penalty claim for Harps waved away by referee Eddie Barr two minutes before the break, when Hutton was adjudged to have tackled the advancing Damien Whitehead fairly. 21-year-old Mark Farren, the Derry hat trick hero of last weekend’s 4-0 semi-final success over Limerick, saw little of the ball in the opening exchanges and it continued to be the case in the second half.

Five minutes after the restart McHugh, scorer of 18 goals this season, pulled his effort across the face of Alan Gough’s goal, quickly followed by a cracking shot from Niall Bonner which flashed past Gough’s left upright.

Derry boss Gavin Dykes brought young midfielder Gerry Gill on for McGlynn with twenty minutes remaining and with Harps foraging ahead with McHugh and Whitehead tiring up front. Derry came more and more into the game and on 79 minutes could have gone in front had Declan Boyle once again not made a vital recovery tackle on Farren, when the young striker was put through albeit at a tight angle.

Suddenly after a period of dour play, the game opened up again and with Donal O’Brien lurking and perhaps better positioned at the far post, an in-swinging corner from the left side fell to Whitehead but the English striker, a scorer against Bray in the semi-final, watched in horror as his effort flashed wide with the most of the goal within range.

There was further drama as referee Barr blew up with two full minutes of normal time remaining.

With three substitutes having been made in the second half, there was at least a minute-and-a-half of time to be added on, and Harps manager Noel King was furious at the finish. ''There was a clear two minutes left to play, plus four minutes of injury time’, he stated, ‘Anything could have happened in that time, I’m very annoyed at what has happened to us here.’The Dubliner announced that the only thing his side have to fear at the Brandywell on Saturday are ‘non-footballing matters’.

His opposite number Gavin Dykes expressed his satisfaction with the 0-0 result. ‘Let’s see what Harps are made of when they come to our place on Saturday. We’ve very happy. We were missing some of our better players our there tonight and we’ll see how good they are when they face up to us again in three days’ time.’