Duff luck for Shels as the Harps run riot at Tolka Park

Finn Harps secured a vital win, their first of the season, at the expense of a shockingly out-of-sorts Shelbourne in Drumcondra.

Goals from defenders Ethan Boyle and Conor Tourish before Eric McWoods' first for the club eased Harps' relegation concerns and, on the evidence of this game alone, Shelbourne have their own.

Perhaps three quick matches within seven days were too much for the Reds but it was they rather than Harps who looked as if they had spent much of the day on the road, this within days of a Finn Harps' tweet mocking Chelsea's travel problems which got over two million hits on social media.

The tweet went around the world and so did Ollie Horgan to cobble together a Harps side that was much the best on what must rate the worst night of Damien Duff's fledgling managerial career.

This represented a realistic chance for Finn Harps to win their first game this year. Having had much upheaval, even by their standards, they can be expected to improve, but this was a game in which they would have fancied their chance.

For Shelbourne, who had contested 1-1 draws against Bohemians and firstly Dundalk in the past week, this was another challenge and one for which they would have to rise.

This was much lower-key, with a smaller crowd and less of an atmosphere.

There's no doubt that Filip Mihaljevic has shown more than implied by his failure to score since he joined Harps and he was desperately unlucky two minutes in.

Boyle's long throw fell the Croat's way and his acrobatic effort hit the crossbar.Incredibly, he did the same three minutes later, this time following a header from Barry McNamee's beautiful cross.

Sean Boyd, scorer of the goal Monday against Bohs, had a sluggish start, prompting assistant boss Joey O'Brien to