PD/FD PLAY OFF game 2nd leg - Finn Harps v Drogheda United (0-1)

[thebronze14]

What a night!we were fantastic first half. Could have been a couple up. As conditions worsened any semblance of football disappeared. We still looked more dangerous at set pieces. Thankfully that paid off when unsung hero Ascroft headed in the winner. When we had 2 points after something like 12 games it was hard to envisage a night like tonight so full praise for Ollie and the lads. Up the wee Harps💙

[sbgawa]

Fantastic job keeping harps up in a ten team league, when it was 12 teams harps were favourites to go down.

[placid casual]

Congrats Harps. A welcome addition to the league in my view.
Does this result highlight a bit of a gap in quality between Premier & 1st division ?
anyway, commiserations drogheda, there's always next year.

[nigel-harps1954]

I do like football sometimes.

Horrendous conditions for a game of football. But delighted to get over the line.

[Breifne]

Took the spin to Ballybofey for the game this evening. Raff Cretaro’s last LOI game and he was buzzing like a debut making teenager afterwards.

Awful game of football, the crowd were subdued for most of it but boy did they enjoy the two goals. The surface was horrendous and cut up seriously through the game. The ball never came near the ground though so at least there was that.

Great first goal from a well worked set piece and we had picked out Ashcroft as the weakest link who didn’t look like he even wanted to play through any of 90 minutes. Slightly miffed he scored the ‘winner’ would have love someone who actually seemed to care about the result or performance to have that honour.

Delighted for Harps though, Ollie has done some job keeping them up. Will be interesting to see if they can improve in the regular season next year. Can’t see Cork or Waterford being as poor next year or Shels having as poor a season as UCD did this term. I’d be surprised if all 3 North West sides survive bottom 2 next season (and I’m not talking about Derry!)

[trevy]

Finn Harps are the play off specialists. They have a great record coming through these games. Any progress on their long delayed new stadium?

[SeanDrog]

Congrats Harps, all the best for next season.

Obviously I’m devastated we did not get up this time but now it’s time to focus on next seasons push for promotion and build on this season - Clancy has done a great job and now some fine tuning to strengthen the side will make us real contenders next season to win the division.

[thebronze14]

Took the spin to Ballybofey for the game this evening. Raff Cretaro’s last LOI game and he was buzzing like a debut making teenager afterwards.

Awful game of football, the crowd were subdued for most of it but boy did they enjoy the two goals. The surface was horrendous and cut up seriously through the game. The ball never came near the ground though so at least there was that.

Great first goal from a well worked set piece and we had picked out Ashcroft as the weakest link who didn’t look like he even wanted to play through any of 90 minutes. Slightly miffed he scored the ‘winner’ would have love someone who actually seemed to care about the result or performance to have that honour.

Delighted for Harps though, Ollie has done some job keeping them up. Will be interesting to see if they can improve in the regular season next year. Can’t see Cork or Waterford being as poor next year or Shels having as poor a season as UCD did this term. I’d be surprised if all 3 North West sides survive bottom 2 next season (and I’m not talking about Derry!)

Very harsh on Ascroft. Been fantastic since he came in and was more than comfortable all night. Didn't take any risks which I agree with on that pitch

[White Horse]

Congratulations to Finn Harps. I remember what it is like, nothing but pain all season while waiting for a play off game that usually turns on one mistake or one chance.

Sorry for Drogheda but remember the last time they had a good young team and came up? The team was taken apart and they went down anyway and lost all their management team.

[SeanDrog]

Sorry for Drogheda but remember the last time they had a good young team and came up? The team was taken apart and they went down anyway and lost all their management team.

That’s a very fair point.

[Martinho II]

Ollie Horgan did some job with Harps this season considering it took them 12 games to win their first match and they were nine points behind UCD at one stage. Its the first time since 2013 that a Premier Div side won the playoff and that was when we lost to Bray!

What was the attendance there last night does anyone know? Caught the last few mins on Highland Radio-great service they have there!

Congrats to Harps btw i was looking forward to making the trip for one of our games next season which will have to wait another year unless we meet in the Cup that is.

[Poor Student]

Congratulations to Harps. They looked dead and buried behind us early on in the season but kept going. Hopefully we'll next meet in the Premier Division.

[marinobohs]

Congrats to Ollie and all at Harps. Great result for them after a really tough season.
See you next year !

[Mr A]

I honestly feel sorry for Drogheda. Finding yourself in the football equivalent of the battle of Verdun against an Ollie Horgan team at Finn Park can't be any fun. It never stopped raining throughout, seriously bad night. Any pitch wpuld cut up in that weather. Drogheda never gave in but Harps bodies were there to foil everything they tried.

Next year will be the hardest yet. But we are the Harps and f#7k your odds.

[ciaraa]

I honestly feel sorry for Drogheda. Finding yourself in the football equivalent of the battle of Verdun against an Ollie Horgan team at Finn Park can't be any fun. It never stopped raining throughout, seriously bad night. Any pitch wpuld cut up in that weather. Drogheda never gave in but Harps bodies were there to foil everything they tried.

Next year will be the hardest yet. But we are the Harps and f#7k your odds.

Fair play Harps - playoff specialists & always knew we were up against it. Have ye ever lost a playoff game at home??!
Thought our best chance was to go up automatically and avoid the trip to Donegal but alas the 1-3 loss to bohs sunk us when it mattered. Ah well there's always next year *sighs*.

[Nesta99]

Fair play Harps - playoff specialists & always knew we were up against it. Have ye ever lost a playoff game at home??!
Thought our best chance was to go up automatically and avoid the trip to Donegal but alas the 1-3 loss to bohs sunk us when it mattered. Ah well there's always next year *sighs*.

I see the 1st Division trauma is setting in - Shels no?

[marinobohs]

Fair play Harps - playoff specialists & always knew we were up against it. Have ye ever lost a playoff game at home??!
Thought our best chance was to go up automatically and avoid the trip to Donegal but alas the 1-3 loss to bohs sunk us when it mattered. Ah well there's always next year *sighs*.

Wow we are so good we played in both divisions 😃
Presume you mean Shels. They are still a separate club (for now &#128540

[Neish]

Have ye ever lost a playoff game at home??!

Lost to Longford back in 2001/02. We were 1-0 down from first leg in Longford then won the 2nd leg 3-2 but lost (5-6) on penalties. If memory serves we went 1 down in the 2nd leg too

[Neish]

T

Great first goal from a well worked set piece and we had picked out Ashcroft as the weakest link who didn’t look like he even wanted to play through any of 90 minutes. Slightly miffed he scored the ‘winner’ would have love someone who actually seemed to care about the result or performance to have that honour.

Very harsh on Ascroft granted it took him a while to get match fitness and was a bit rusty for his first few game but was very solid in the final quarter of the season and scored a few important goals in that time so I was delighted that he got the winner, judging a player on one game (especially a game played in awful conditions) is a tad fussy to say the least

[Neish]

Ollie Horgan did some job with Harps this season considering it took them 12 games to win their first match and they were nine points behind UCD at one stage. Its the first time since 2013 that a Premier Div side won the playoff and that was when we lost to Bray!

What was the attendance there last night does anyone know? Caught the last few mins on Highland Radio-great service they have there!

Official attendance was a bit over 2,100 but that figure wouldn't include kids or the clubs underage teams who get free admin, I say it was well of 2,500