BY RYAN FERRY
ORAN Brogan would dearly love to be part of a Finn Harps promotion push this season.
Harps have failed to make the play-offs in each of the last three seasons and those campaigns petered out with little fanfare.
The Ballybofey men are currently fifth in the First Division table and momentum would grow with them if they could stay in contention.
Brogan remembers big nights at Finn Park when the late Ollie Horgan was in charge.
There is a good local feel to the Harps group this year and the thought of thousands packed in at Navenney Street for a crucial game offers plenty of motivation.
“We all want that,” the Letterkenny man told the Donegal News.
“I have been watching Harps since I was five or six years of age.
“Even before I signed, I was still coming up regularly every Friday to watch the team.
“When you get the chance to sign it’s really a no-brainer to be honest because you’ve seen some of the glory days.
“There’s a video of me on the pitch after the Limerick play-off and stuff like that.
“You just want to bring that again for the fans. We see the crowds coming to our matches and they definitely help us that extra 10 or 15%.
“Hopefully they will be there for us on Friday night and help us over the line.
“For the likes of myself, (Conor) Tourish, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Shaunie (Bradley) and Tony (McNamee) – all the local lads- we want to do well for Finn Harps and put our name in the history books and do something special for the club.
“All you want to do is leave a good mark and hopefully we can do that in the time that we are here.”
Harps’ victory over Longford Town last week is unlikely to rank highly on the club’s pantheon of great victories.
It was a game of few chances but a penalty from Joel Bradley-Walsh did the business for Harps.
“We started really well.
“Our game plan was followed to a tee from Lorenzo (Barbosa) right up to the boys up front.
“We had to work really hard.
“Longford had a good win over Wexford so it was never going to be easy.
“Everyone was nearly lying down in the dressing room afterwards because they had put in such a shift.
“We got the job done and now we move on to Cork.
“We don’t get too high or too low after, you just move on to the next one.”
It hasn’t been exactly the start to the season that Brogan craved and he has had to bide his time on the bench.
However, he didn’t lose heart and was determined to make an impression when recalled for the Kerry game.
“It’s been a bit up and down.
“We lost the first game against Athlone and then we won in UCD which was a great result.
“We picked up three draws on the bounce after that and Kevin said in previous interviews that we want to go to win games.
“We drew too much last year and you need to be getting the three points.
“If we lose a game from pushing forward to try and win it then so be it.
“Personally for me I started against Athlone but was out of the team for three or four weeks then.
“I just focused on myself and tried to work hard in training and show Kevin that when I’m called upon.
“That’s all you can do really and try and support the boys from the side.
“They are all good lads and we have a good dressing room and we are all very close.
“When you get your chance you have to take it and hopefully I will if I’m picked on Friday.”
It can be tough for players when they find themselves out of the team.
However, Brogan worked hard to keep his sharpness right.
“In fairness our training is very, very good and sharp so it does keep you on top of it.
“Everyone is always looking over their shoulder even myself now that I’m back in the team.
“I know that someone on the bench will take my place if I’m not at it.
“We have a big squad of quality and when you have that it brings everyone on.
“Obviously you’re doing your top-up runs after, and you just have to get them done and get ready for the next week.
“Everyone trusts Kevin and we can see what he’s trying to do.
“All the boys are buying into that. When we got our wins everyone was happy. We’re all in it together.
“It’s the same for any athlete. I have been in that situation before and you just have to keep battling through it.”
Harps lost 3-0 to Cork in the FAI Cup last year and that was a sobering evening.
The Rebels look set for an immediate return to the Premier Division, but after that, there is no huge difference between the sides.
“Cork haven’t lost a game but in terms of everyone else, it has been very unpredictable.
“You have to be at your best at every game and we have seen that over the course of the season so far.
“If you’re not at your best then you’ll get punished.
“We are lucky that we have had (Conor) Tourish pop up with a couple of goals to get us draws.
“Leading up to Cork, you know there’s going to be a crowd and everyone is texting saying it’s a big game, and asking if we’re up for it.
“We can only focus on ourselves. We are excited for it.
“It’s the same as every other week. We just need to follow the game plan and hopefully we can get the points.
“They are playing in the First Division. It’s not like last year when they were a Premier Division team.
“We have to bring that different mentality to it.”