A place in the quarter-finals of this season’s FAI Ford Cup is the prize for the winners as Finn Harps welcome Cobh Ramblers to Finn Park on Friday evening (kick-off 8pm).
And with Harps promotion hopes having suffered a near fatal blow in last Friday’s 2-0 defeat against Waterford United, boss Peter Hutton knows that the Cup is now an important avenue to keep an interest in the season for the club’s supporters.
“The Cup game is now even more important to ensure our season stays alive,” said Hutton.
“We know given that we are at home that most people will view us as favourites but I know Cobh will come with no fear and actually fancy their chances of progressing also.
“They have brought in a few new, more experienced players during the summer window, players like Craig Burns so they will be given due respect,” continued Hutton.
In three previous games this season between the two sides, Harps and Cobh have shared thirteen goals.
“Cobh are a team that will create chances given they possess the talents of Davin O’Neil, Martin Deady and Kynan Rocks and so will pose a threat. We have had good battles with Cobh over the season and I see this as being no different.
“We need to ensure that we are focused and determined to get the job done and if it takes a last minute winner then so be it, as it’s all about progressing to the next round.”
Hutton was a disappointed and frustrated manager who watched on from the sidelines last weekend as Harps lost 2-0 to Waterford last season to all but end any hopes they had of making the promotion play-off spots.
“I felt we deserved something from the game but unfortunately in football you don’t always get what you deserve. We dominated the game for long spells but our final ball and inability to take those chances that presented themselves cost us dearly.
“The concession of the first goal was also hugely frustrating as we had previously conceded two similar goals to Waterford this season and so we had worked on how to prevent similar situations occurring but got caught again. We then chased the game knowing we really needed the win so and really should have been level before conceding a needless penalty.
“I must credit the players though as they kept battling away and tried to get back into the game and were certainly not deserving of being on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat.”
Harps welcome back Mark Forker who missed last week’s game with Waterford. Sean McCarron, the clubs top goalscorer this season, is also likely to return after recovering from illness.
Friday’s game will be the third time the two clubs have met in the FAI Cup, but the first at Finn Park. The previous two meetings were both in St. Colmans Park while Cobh were still a Munster Senior League club. Both games, in 1981 and 1983, were at the quarter-final stage.
Harps won the ’81 encounter on a 4-1 scoreline but Ramblers extracted revenge two years later when they won 1-0. The 1983 Cup run by Cobh is best remembered for their semi-final meeting with eventual Cup winners Sligo Rovers which took four games to decide.
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TEAM NEWS
Suspended: None.
Doubtful: None.
Injured: None.
Form Guide (last six league games)
Finn Harps: D-L-W-L-W-L (7 pts)
Cobh Ramblers: D-W-L-W-L-L (7 pts)
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Last six home games against Cobh Ramblers
25-May-07 – Finn Harps 0-1 Cobh Ramblers (First Division)
28-Sep-07 – Finn Harps 1-0 Cobh Ramblers (First Division)
07-Mar-08 – Finn Haprs 2-1 Cobh Ramblers (Premier Division)
22-Aug-08 – Finn Harps 2-2 Cobh Ramblers (Premier Division)
15-Mar-13 – Finn Harps 4-1 Cobh Ramblers (First Division)
28-Jun-13 – Finn Harps 2-2 Cobh Ramblers (First Division)
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Finn Harps Goalscorers 2013
Sean McCarron – 8 (1 in FAI Cup)
Kevin McHugh – 7
Michael Funston – 3
Keith Cowan – 3 (1 in FAI Cup)
Mark Forker – 2
Thomas McMonagle – 2
Thomas McBride – 1 (in League Cup)
Matt Harkin – 1 (in League Cup)
James Doherty – 1 (in League Cup)
Marc Brolly – 1 (in League Cup)
Aaron O’Hagan – 1 (in League Cup)
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Finn Harps Results 2013 (Harps goalscorers in brackets)
16-Aug-13 – AL – Finn Harps 0-2 Waterford United
09-Aug-13 – AL – Finn Harps 2-0 Salthill Devon (Forker 2)
02-Aug-13 – AL – Athlone Town 1-0 Finn Harps
26-Jul-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 1-0 Wexford Youths (McHugh)
19-Jul-2013 – AL – Mervue United 4-0 Finn Harps
12-Jul-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 0-0 Longford Town
28-Jun-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 2-2 Cobh Ramblers (Funston, Cowan)
28-Jun-2013 – AL – Waterford United 3-0 Finn Harps
14-Jun-2013 – AL – Salthill Devon 2-1 Finn Harps (Funston)
08-Jun-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 2-3 Athlone Town (Funston, Cowan)
31-May-2013 – FAI – Finn Harps 2-1 Wexford Youths (Cowan, McCarron)
24-May-2013 – AL – Wexford Youths 2-1 Finn Harps (McCarron)
20-May-2013 – LC – Finn Harps 1-1 Derry City (O’Hagan) – Derry win 6-5 on penalties
17-May-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 1-0 Mervue United (McCarron)
11-May-2013 – AL – Longford Town 2-3 Finn Harps (McCarron, McHugh, McDonagh og.)
04-May-2013 – AL – Cobh Ramblers 2-2 Finn Harps (McHugh, McCarron)
26-Apr-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 0-1 Waterford United
19-Apr-2013 – AL – Finn Harps 1-0 Salthill Devon (McMonagle)
12-Apr-2013 – AL – Athlone Town 1-0 Finn Harps
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)