Bray Wanderers 2
Finn Harps 2
By Stuart Connolly
Finn Harps were twice pegged back on the road by two substitutes at the Carlisle Grounds on Easter Monday as they dropped to seventh in the league standings.
Conor Tourish headed home the opener and that was cancelled out just after the restart by Sean Brennan.
Temi Ajibola bagged his second of the campaign prior to the hour and Bray Wanderers struck back again via the boot of Richard Ferizaj as Harps drew for the fifth time in ten outings.
Alain Kizenga flashed an effort just over the bar with three minutes on the clock, but beyond that, Bray Wanderers’ main source of danger was corners and only two of the six in the first half brought about any real threat.
Finn Harps were playing well after that early chance for the hosts, and a low cross from Gavin McAteer was cleared by Kyle Tucker as Bernardo Monteiro looked to pounce.
A familiar sight for Harps spectators this season has been Conor Tourish getting on the end of deliveries from Joel Bradley-Walsh and that combination popped up again just after the quarter of an hour as the deadlock was broken.
The Ballybofey-native curled the ball in from the left, and it was on a plate for Tourish to head beyond the reach of James Corcoran.
As the game went past the half hour mark, the hosts went close to an equaliser twice in as many minutes, with both efforts coming as a result of set-pieces. After an initial clearance didn’t quite come off for Harps, Ifunanyachi Achara’s overhead kick from close-range was stopped by Lorenzo Barbosa. In the corner that followed, the ball bounced kindly for Billy O’Neill roughly 15 yards out and his goalbound strike was cleared off the line by Tourish.
Harps fashioned the final opportunity of the half with a little under five to go as Josh Cullen found Temi Ajibola, but his close-range header was just a whisker over the bar.
Less than 60 seconds into the second-half, Harps’ lead was gone as a Bray Wanderers substitute had an instant impact.
Kizenga weaved his way into the box on the right side, and his pass across was lifted into the top left corner by Sean Brennan.
Just prior to the hour, and moments after Bradley-Walsh had blocked an attempt by Ben McCormack, Harps restored their lead with a fine effort.
Gavin McAteer broke free in the middle of the park and he laid it off for Alex Fanle, who had overlapped on the left and a low ball into the area was tucked home into the far corner by Temi Ajibola.
The hosts had a decent spell of pressure after conceding, and a couple of chances were blocked by those in blue, but with a little shy of 20 minutes to go, another substitute bagged a leveller.
Ben McCormack found Richard Ferizaj on the edge of the box, and a quick turn allowed him to get the space he needed to fire one into the top left corner, and immediately after Ferizaj fired an effort just wide of the same corner.
In the final quarter of an hour, it was an evenly balanced battle. Most of the chances were halted at either end, and it was the Bray substitutes who had the better chances with Daniel Ring and Ferizaj both having shots blocked.
As the game entered stoppage time, Bray had one last opportunity to snatch the win. Ryan Kelly’s ball in from the left was in a prime location for Ferizaj to strike, and his goalbound shot was thwarted by Bradley-Walsh.
Finn Harps had one final chance in the last minute of the game, but a corner in from the right was blasted against the side netting by Tony McNamee.
Bray Wanderers: James Corcoran; Alain Kizenga, Declan Osagie, Mark Chidi; Aime Nyembo, Ryan Kelly, Ben McCormack, Ifunanyachi Achara, Kyle Tucker; Billy O’Neill, Tyreik Sammy.
Subs: Richard Ferizaj, Daniel Ring and Sean Brennan for O’Neill, Achara and Tucker(ht), Benjamin Fagbemi for Sammy(78 mins)
Finn Harps: Lorenzo Barbosa; Josh Cullen, Conor Tourish, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Alex Fanle; Adam McDaid, Oran Brogan, Gavin McAteer, Nathan Lumingo, Bernardo Monteiro; Temi Ajibola.
Subs: Tony McNamee and Idir Zerrouk for Lumingo and Monteiro(54 mins), Max Johnston for McDaid(66 mins), Odhran McHugh for Ajibola(78 mins)
Referee: Ryan Maher
Game at a Glance
Player of the Match – Conor Tourish(Finn Harps) – He headed home his third of the season, and he had a huge impact in a defensive capacity too as he cleared one off the line, while also making a few crucial tackles during the match. Sean Brennan’s display off the bench was impressive for the hosts.
Turning Point – The introduction of three substitutes at half time had the desired effect for the home side, and it helped them back into the game. Harps were good value for their lead on both occasions, but two moments of quality meant a share of the spoils.
The Whistler – Ryan Maher’s impact on this game was kept on the lower end of the scale. His decisions were consistent throughout and none of the four players booked had any complaints when shown a yellow card.
Talking Point – There will be positives and negatives that Kevin McHugh will take from this encounter against the side that sit in second place.
While it may feel like two points dropped, later down the line, it could be looked at as a valuable point on the road. While Cork City look to be on a roll, the gap between 2nd and 7th is just four points as the first round of games comes to an end.
What’s Next – Finn Harps are back at home tomorrow night as they host Cobh Ramblers.