Finn Harps defeated Wexford FC 1-0 with the away side reduced to ten men five minutes into the second half. The result is the hosts first home clean sheet in over a year, after failing to register a single one on home soil last season. The win lift
Finn Harps defeated Wexford FC 1-0 with the away side reduced to ten men five minutes into the second half.
The result is the hosts first home clean sheet in over a year, after failing to register a single one on home soil last season. The win lifts Ollie Horgan's side up to fourth while Wexford remain ninth.
Finn Harps started the match with a spring in their step, fresh off their win over Cobh, and looked to keep the momentum going. While not registering any shots on target in the opening exchanges, their build up play suggested a goal wasn't far away.
But it was Wexford who fashioned the first concrete chance, with Chris Kenny going close from a header at the far post after a right sided free kick whipped in by Sean Hurley. Finn Harps went close in a similar fashion shortly before the interval, with Jesse Devers lobbing in a corner from the left side, Ciaran Coll got a head on it in the center of the box, but it went just wide to the left side.
Kealan Gaffney won a sprint race with Devers late in the half to deny the midfielder a free pop at goal and a through ball down the middle from John O'Flynn, Gaffney was quick off his line to keep the score level at the break.
The second half started with Wexford seeing red. Owen McCormack was given his marching orders for a kick on C.O'Connor as a difficult task was made even more daunting. Coll and Devers created good openings for the hosts but failed to truly test Gaffney.
That was until the 69th minute, when Michael O'Connor fired into the bottom left corner, for his second league goal of the season, after a cross from the left side by his sibling, Ciaran. Finn Harps looked to kill the game off in the final 20 minutes but couldn't notch a second but held on to walk away with the 3 points.
