Harps close gap on UCD - February 26, 2001
Finn Harps 2 Shamrock Rovers 2
Finn Harps haven't given up hope of avoiding automatic relegation. They notched their fifth league draw on the trot against Rovers and clawed back another point on third-from-bottom UCD. The gap is only six points now and Harps have a game in hand.
In fact Ballybofey is about the hardest place to get a win these days, as the Hoops found out to their cost. Bohemians, Shelbourne and Cork, as well as Rovers, have all tried and failed in recent weeks.
But Rovers will be happy enough with the point, given that it took an 87th-minute Tony Cousins goal to salvage the draw. The visitors could have found themselves behind as early as the fourth minute, when former Harp Pascal Vaudequin cleared off the line from Kevin McHugh - and just 16 minutes more had elapsed when the threat was made good. Winger Paddy McGrenaghan fired in low and Shane Bradley squeezed it past Robbie Horgan.
But within a minute, Pat Deans emphatically levelled the game with a rising shot that fairly whistled into the top corner.
Six minutes into the second half, McHugh was first to a Fergal Harkin cross to restore the home side's lead. And Horgan had to stretch to prevent a powerful drive from John Kenny making it 3-1 on the hour mark.
Rovers were delighted to welcome back Tony Cousins from long-term injury in the 75th minute; and three minutes from the end he showed how much they had missed his poacher's instincts when he was in the right place to meet a Billy Woods cross and steer it home for the equaliser.
Finn Harps: D Bradley, Kenny, Minnock, Scanlon, S Bradley, McGrenaghan, Mohan, Kenny, Marrow, McHugh, Harkin
Subs: Dodds for Mohan 45, Loyd for J Kenny 76, Tierney for Marrow 85
Goals: S Bradley 20, McHugh 51
Shamrock Rovers: Horgan, Vaudequin, Woods, Cronin, Palmer, Colwell, Deans, Robinson, Francis, Grant, Byrne
Subs: Daly for Vaudequin 20, Dunne for Daly 46, Cousins for Robinson 75
Goals: Deans 21, Cousins 87
Referee: J Breen (Dublin)