Finn Harps undone late on as Drogheda strike late

Drogheda United made light of the numerical disadvantage to put Finn Harps to the sword with three goals late on at Head In The Game Park.

Conor Tourish had put Harps in front early in the second half before United centre-back Sean Roughan was sent off for two bookabke offences.

That left Kevin Doherty's side with an uphill struggle. They had come into the game having lost their last four games in any case. A fifth seemed inevitable.

However, it was United’s substitutes that proved the difference. Evan Weir levelled the game within three minutes of his introduction.

Foley, a former Finn Harps striker no less, making his first appearance after a lengthy injury lay-off put the hosts in front in injury time. He had replaced Chris Lyons only ten minutes earlier.

More drama arrived in the form of Bastien Hery’s red card for kicking Ryan Brennan and then Darragh Nugent’s late, late third. Local man Brennan laid on Foley’s goal and following his arrival into the game at the interval, was key to everything good that United produced against the odds.

On a sour note, a man was removed from Head In The Game Park at half time after the game was briefly interrupted when referee Derek Tomney was made aware of racist language used by a person in the crowd towards a player. Ground staff quickly identified the individual and he was escorted from the ground.

The first half was dominated by Harps who looked intent on righting the wrong of allowing UCD a first win of the campaign last week. They didn’t trouble goalkeeper Sam Long much however. He easily gathered Ryan Rainey’s shot while a series of free kicks came to nothing.

Tourish had the visitors in front two minutes after the break. His close ranger header was his third of prolific season for