Finn Harps 0
Bohemians 2
IT WAS AN evening of what ifs for Finn Harps as Bohemians made a return to winning ways in Ballybofey.
Defeat keeps Ollie Horgan’s Harps behind UCD in the battle to avoid relegation, but this was one they left behind them.
Until Declan McDaid opened the scoring in the 54th minute, Harps had the bulk of chances and should have been in front.
Jordan international Jaime Siaj was prominent on his first Harps start, but was unable to fire his side ahead.
Harps, who had Ryan Rainey sent off 16 minuets from the end for a second bookable offence, were crushed when Doherty fired home an 84th minute cracker from 25 yards.
It took the intervention of Ciaran Kelly to prevent Siaj from hitting the target in the 16th minute when the Harps striker was found by Eric McWoods’ cut-back. Siaj’s initial touch was a little too heavy and Kelly was able to take the sting from the shot.
Earlier, Ryan Rainey fired wide after cutting in from the right and Siaj might have done better when shooting into the Town End terrace.
Siaj was on the end of another McWoods pass seven minutes before half time, but had too much elevation on a side-footed effort from 15 yards.
That came after Bohemians goalkeeper Jon McCracken saved superbly from Filip Mihaljević.
Just two minutes into the second half, a superb save from the feet of McCracken denied Siaj after McWoods and Rainey did the spadework.
With Bohs in front, McWoods fashioned a decent chance 15 minutes from time but, after stepping away from Kelly, his shot was easily gathered.
Bohs made six changes to the side that began last Sunday’s FAI Cup defeat by Shelbourne and caretaker manager Derek Pender saw his side make the most of limited openings in the north west.
Finn Harps: James McKeown; Gary Boylan, Ethan Boyle, Rob Slevin, Regan Donelon; Élie N’Zeyi; Ryan Rainey, Barry McNamee (Mark Timlin 84), Filip Mihaljević (Rob Jones 76); Jaime Siaj (Dylan Duncan 88), Eric McWoods (Luke Rudden 88).
Bohemians: Jon McCracken; Max Murphy, Rory Feely, Ciaran Kelly, Ryan Burke (Jordan Doherty 30); James Clarke, Jamie Mullins (James McManus 71), Jordan Flores (Conor Levingston 71); Kris Twardek, Aaron Doran (Chris Lotefa 57), Declan McDaid.
Referee: Damien McGraith.
I think the GK is not fully confident and that can have a huge affect on the defenders. The young lad at RB last night looks a tidy player.
@Nollaig Elliot: he’s going to be a great player I think, he’s prone to being caught out too easy as well though. Still if they continue scoring more goals than the opposition we can’t give out too much..
@Nollaig Elliot: agree
@Paul Mallon: agreed nollaigh. The keeper and lovren badly need to be replaced. No sign of a keeper coming but hopefully they get hoewdes at least, if not VVD. Great going forward though, the season will be an absolute rollercoaster
@Paul Mallon: if LFC are taking any player from Southampton, it should be Fraser Forster. Dominates his six yard box, and bosses his defenders.
Mignolet is a good shot stopper period, any crosses coming into the box are however an absolute lottery (as shown again last night the one time he came off his line to try lunch one clear).
Defence absolutely starts from the Keeper out, in rugby terms defensively he’s the number eight at the back of a scrum i.e. anchors the scrum so it doesn’t get loose and can be disrupted by oppo, looks for any danger on oppo possession and smashes it, launches quick attack when his team wins possesion.
@Nollaig Elliot: true but you get the impression Klopp will be too stubborn to go beyond Mignolet and Karius
@j lad: Not sure if its stubborness. I reckon the CL playoff had a lot to do with it also. Players could be holding out to see if they qualified. With VVD his hands were tied. The player wanted the move but Southampton weren’t budging. Like Ronan said above, Forester should be the main target.
Get Howedes and Van DIJK
@Ollie Watson: Howedes not the answer.not reliable and if he was good enough he’d have got his big move before 29 years old
@j lad: you don’t know what you are talking about. Höwedes is a class act on and off the pitch, a World Cup winner who played every minute of every game. An outstanding leader and role model who turned down the big bucks of Bayern and Arsenal a couple of years ago to stay with his home town club so as he could “give something back”. He’d be a great signing for Liverpool and Kloop knows him well.
@Bob Cummings: Howedes can’t make Schalke team.
@John Buckley: only fit after a a few months out with injury. It seems the new coach will invest in youth, Goretzka to go as well.
I’m struggling to understand Klopps logic. Played Milner at LB all last season, drops 10m on Robertson to put him on the bench in favor of the guy who is clearly a liability! TAA is a decent rb and will do well but watching the keystone cops on his left can’t be inspiring for him. The right seems ok but the left is clearly a problem. Need a center half in and Robertson to get a run of games. Once Coutinho and Lalanna come back midfield will be sorted and the top 3 look awesome….
At this stage Klavan is a better option than Lovern. Klopp can’t start Lovern against Arsenal.
@raymond flynn: klavan has always been the better option but the fact we didnt pay 20m for him meant he gets little enough fair play , 1 poor game and he is benched again whereas lovern gets chance after chance
@Michael Coghlan: Klavan is the worst of them. Brian Kerr said that when he managed the Faroe Islands, they targeted Klavan as he was so bad. Gomez is a centre half or Conor Masterson – may be 18 but Klopp is constantly singing his praises.
@John Buckley: https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.balls.ie/amp/football/ragnar-klavan-343603
@Dan: heard Kerr say it on RTE, didn’t realise he said it on Today fm as well. I have good time for Kerr so disappointing to see him get it so wrong, very funny though. Klavan still a terrible centre half.
@John Buckley: fair enough , I never said Kagan was great but he isn’t as bad as Kerr made out and is definitely better than lovern
Klopp said something after the match last night that gave off the impression a few players were lined up to join pending qualification for the group stages.even though us fans prob hope for 5 in we’ll prob end up with 1 or 2
@j lad: id take 1 or 2 in a heartbeat at this stage of the window.
@j lad: didn’t give any impressions only that CL is important when trying to sign a player or extend a player’s contract or keep a player which I feel it was more directed at without mentioning Coutinho
@The Chameleon: ‘Klopp reveals transfer boost’
http://www.skysports.com/share/11002599 i think he mean’t potential signings aswell as a dig at players holding back on signing new contracts
@Max Power: 1 or 2 only good enough if it’s a combination of centre backs,keeper,holding midfielder
@j lad: must be true if sky are saying it
Lovren : cant tackle, cant head, cant mark, not physical, no pace, a wimp, and gets a 5year contract !
@Mrs. Nugent: deadly isn’t it !