Macari strike proves crucial as Dundalk hang on at Harps

A most poignant minute's silence in memory of those who lost their lives at Creeslough preceded what ended up being a narrow Dundalk victory over Finn Harps.

Lewis Macari and an own goal by Rob Slevin made it 2-0 at half-time for Dundalk. Harps' substitute Robert Jones pulled one back on 86 minutes but it meant one point from six matches for Ollie Horgan's side, who cannot keep banking on other results.

Seven days on from the explosion that saw 10 people lose their lives at the north Donegal village, both sides paid their respects, with Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins in attendance.

Dundalk captain Andy Boyle, League of Ireland director Mark Scanlon and Ireland Under-19 head coach Tom Mohan - a former Finn Harps players - brought out wreaths in remembrance as both squads stood on the halfway line with the local Ballybofey United side.

As early as the third minute, Barry McNamee’s precise ball down Dundalk’s inside right channel put Dylan Duncan into space. His shot towards the bottom corner was touched around the post by the visitors’ goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd.

That was the exception not the rule, though, with the Co Louth team firing a couple of warnings before Alfie Lewis hit the butt of the post on 17 minutes with a daisy-cutter from the edge of the area.

A minute later, Dundalk hit the front when John Mountney’s free-kick was half cleared and, with the ball dropping, Macari improvised to hook at goal. The ball lobbed in over Harps netminder James McKeown and McNamee, who was stretching on the line to get a headed clearance.

Darragh Leahy, on 22 minutes, almost doubled the lead from close in only for McKeown to make a top class save. Harps’ only real threat came from Regan Donelon corner-kicks, of which they had