Fri. Nov 1st, 2024

Treaty victorious away to Finn Harps to close out 2024 season

(C) Alwyn Robinson Photography
Treaty end their season with a win and five games undefeated.

Treaty United 2 Finn Harps 1

In their final game in the League Of Ireland First Division for this year, Treaty United defeated Ballybofey counterparts Finn Harps in Finn Park.

United came into this game unbeaten in their last four. Harps put in a losing 3-1 effort against Wexford in their last outing. Both sides came into the game knowing they were outside of the coveted playoff competitions, with both lining out with youthful starting 11’s.

Yoyo Mahdy – who scored in the fourth minute against UCD last week – was the first to have an attempt in the contest, with him firing over on his right foot from the edge of the box.

Young ‘keeper Michael Dike had to come up with two saves to keep the scores level – the second from a close-range Max Johnston effort – meaning after 15 minutes the deadlock was still unbroken.

In the following ten minutes 16-year-old Gavin McAteer sent a free narrowly outside the box on the right over Dike’s goal. Mahdy similarly went close from a central-set piece, with Oisin Cooney having to cover ground quickly to deny his otherwise top right destined delivery.

Success Edogun almost put the hosts in front on 28 minutes – the striker dribbling direct at the goal before firing to Dike’s left – but the youthful shot-stopper did his job at full stretch.

Four minutes later, Johnston also should have fired Finn Harps ahead. A scramble in the box ensued but the trouble was eventually cleared off the line.

The 33-minute mark saw Harps finally bucked the trend of should haves when Conor Tourish rose highest to powerfully head Kevin Jordan’s left-wing cross into the net.

Just before half-time Christopher Horgan picked out a fantastic ball from the right side to Tarmey in the box. The striker was all alone but could only tamely nod it into the path of Cooney.

The quiet half came to a close not even a minute later, with the hosts taking their 1-0 lead into the second half.

United started the second period brightly with a fantastic reverse through ball to the back post by Mahdy. Cooney did well to make himself big to keep out Thomas Considine.

The Shannonsiders were brighter after the restart, seeing more pressure on the Harps goal. Edogun did fire again eight minutes into the half but was well kept out by Dike who dived right. McAteer again threatened with an effort inside the United area, but it sailed over off his left.

Harps grew into the game the longer the second half went on. Just passed the hour, Jamie Watson from right-back almost helped to double the home lead finding Tourish with a cross. However, his central defender glanced the header wide.

A fantastic effort from Thomas Considine finally levelled the scores just before 70 minutes. He was shown the inside route from Jordan down the right wing, striking the ball off his left boot rifling it into the top left corner.

Three minutes later, McAteer could have restored the Harps advantage but missed the chance to poke the ball across the box into the bottom corner. He struck a low driven effort from well outside the area on 77 minutes, but Dike got down well to hold to his right.

Despite the growing Harps pressure, the Super Blues did take the lead a minute after that McAteer effort. Both subs on the wing – Conisidine and Mark Byrne – linked up with a ball from the former towards the latter. It was tapped in by Byrne to completely turn the game on its head from the first half.

The lively Considine completely changed the game down United’s right flank and secured a final three points of the year for the Limerick club.

Player of the match: Thomas Considine (Treaty United)

Treaty United: Michael Dike, Christopher Horgan (Thomas Considine, HT), Richkov Boevi, Evan O’Connor, Oisin O’Reilly, Colin Conroy, Mark Walsh, Steven Healy (Luke Ryan, 82’), Yoyo Mahdy (Nikodem Kozlowski, 70’), Tripimir Vrljicak (Cillian Mulvihill 83’), David Tarmey (Mark Byrne, 63’)

Finn Harps: Oisin Cooney, Jamie Watson, Noe Baba, Conor Tourish, Kevin Jordan (Bruce Strachan, 62’) Max Johnston (Luke O’Brien, 61’), Gavin McAteer, David Cawley (Matthew Makinson, 89′), Tony McNamee, Success Edogun, Gavin Gilmore (Sean Patton, 65’)