Finn Harps put their six-game unbeaten start on the line on Friday night when they travel to the midlands to take on Roddy Collins’ Athlone Town (kick-off 8.00pm).
However, Harps go there with a mounting injury list as Thomas McMonagle is the latest player to be ruled out.
With Ciaran Coll and Sean McCarron already absent, the last thing Harps boss Peter Hutton needed was the news that Thomas McMonagle had sustained a hairline fracture of his foot in last week’s scoreless draw with Wexford Youths at Finn Park.
“Unfortunately we lost Tommy early in the game. He felt a sharp pain on planting his foot on the ground and it got to the point where he couldn’t carry on”, said Hutton earlier this week.
“Unfortunately, Tommy has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture on his foot so will unfortunately be out for about 4 weeks at least. It’s very disappointing for him and the squad in general but we just have to get on with it.
“When you consider that Tommy was one of only four players in both divisions to play every single minute of the league campaign last season, it is a testament to how well he looks after himself both prior to and after games, so it certainly is a blow to lose him now.”
With McMonagle having to be replaced after 14 minutes of last week’s game against Wexford, it certainly hit Harps and the game ended scoreless – the first time this season that Hutton’s side have failed to find the net.
“We were well on top at that point and the substitution broke the momentum we’d attained,” said Hutton of McMonagle’s early departure.
“The game was as I predicted – a very cagey and tight affair. Wexford came with the game plan of playing five in midfield in an effort to stifle our attacking threat then try to exploit us on the counter attack and to be honest their ploy worked to some extent.
“We ourselves weren’t as creative nor as energetic as I would have liked but it was overall an ok performance. The pitch also didn’t help in that the surface was very dry and extremely bumpy given the recent weather, so any type of free flowing football is a bit unrealistic at present.
“Shaun McGowan has been unable to train properly with the team since the first game of the season given the injury to his hand whilst Kevin McHugh had been in his bed with flu all week up until the Thursday so it’s a testament to those players’ resolve and dedication that they completed the game and still played to a high standard.
“I’d be more concerned though if we had played really well and came away with the same score line, so at least I and players know that we can certainly improve and are much capable of more. It was a game we could have lost but for a fine save from Ciaran (Gallagher) but we certainly wouldn’t have deserved to lose the game although I honestly don’t believe we did enough to win it.”
Although Hutton knows his team has more to offer – as was shown in the opening four league games of the season – he was more than happy that Harps kept their second consecutive clean sheet at Finn Park.
“As I’ve said previously clean sheets are the basis upon which successful seasons are built so that was a pleasing aspect of the game. Ciaran, as in the previous week, demonstrated good concentration levels as for the majority of the second half he had little to do but when called upon was excellent. At times we were guilty of losing our shape and discipline as we chased that elusive winner and that could have cost us as Wexford looked to hit us on the counter attack, but the players again remained vigilant and got the point.”
On Friday, the opposition for Harps is Athlone Town – a team who lost their first league game of the season last weekend to Waterford United. So, what is Hutton expecting from Roddy Collins’ side?
“Again this game will be like many games this season – a really tight affair with both teams meeting for the first time this year. Obviously the Athlone team we competed with last season is a vastly different one from that we will meet on Friday.
“Roddy Collins has come in and instantly the club now has an expectation to achieve success, the board have obviously backed their new man in providing Roddy with the resources to completely revamp the Athlone squad and bring in several experienced Premier Division players such as Philip Gorman, Barry Clancy, Paul Skinner, Robbie Clarke, Conor McMahon, Lee Dixon coupled with some of the most promising young players on loan from St Pats, in particular young Ryan Coombes who has started the season extremely well.
“So essentially Roddy has recruited a quality squad that boasts a good level of experience, but also possess the exuberance of youth. Hopefully the pitch is in better condition than our previous visits last season as it was poor. Either way though, we will look forward to the game and do our upmost to return with a favourable result,” concluded Hutton.
Harps will travel without the injured trio of Thomas McMonagle, Ciaran Coll and Sean McCarron. Marc Brolly is also a doubt after he took a hefty challenge during the Wexford game and had to be substituted and his injury is particularly sore and tender at the moment. Matt Harkin, though, has recovered from a thigh injury and should be available for selection.
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TEAM NEWS
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Marc Brolly.
Injured: Ciaran Coll (cartilage tear), Sean McCarron (calf), Thomas McMonagle (hairline fracture foot).
Form Guide (last six league games)
Finn Harps: W-D-W-W-D-D (12 pts)
Athlone Town: L-D-W-D-D-L (6 pts)
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Last six away games against Athlone Town
09-Oct-09 – Athlone Town 0-6 Finn Harps (First Division)
10-Jul-10 – Athlone Town 0-1 Finn Harps (First Division)
19-Apr-11 – Athlone Town 1-0 Finn Harps (First Division)
20-Aug-11 – Athlone Town 0-1 Finn Harps (First Division)
16-Mar-12 – Athlone Town 2-0 Finn Harps (First Division)
13-Jul-12 – Athlone Town 1-1 Finn Harps (First Division)
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Finn Harps Goalscorers 2013
Kevin McHugh – 4
Sean McCarron – 3
Thomas McMonagle – 1
Thomas McBride – 1 (in League Cup)
Matt Harkin – 1 (in League Cup)
James Doherty – 1 (in League Cup)
Marc Brolly – 1 (in League Cup)
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Finn Harps Results 2013 (Harps goalscorers in brackets)
05-Apr-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 0-0 Wexford Youths
29-Mar-2013 – AL – Mervue United 2-2 Finn Harps (McMonagle, McHugh)
23-Mar-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 1-0 Longford Town (McHugh)
15-Mar-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 4-1 Cobh Ramblers (McCarron 2, McHugh 2)
08-Mar-2013 – AL – Waterford United 1-1 Finn Harps (McCarron)
03-Mar-2013 – LC – Mayo League 1-4 Finn Harps (Harkin, Doherty, Brolly, McBride)