Murphy double not enough as Harps hold on for win
Date Published: 09-Jul-2012
A double from Alan Murphy was not enough for Mervue United to take anything from their trip to the North West on Saturday night as the home side recovered from the loss of a two-goal lead to take all three points.
Harps were two goals to the good and looking like they were cruising to victory as half-time approached, but Murphy dragged Mervue United back into the game with a goal three minutes before the break, and he grabbed the equaliser five minutes after the restart as Johnny Glynn’s side began to dominate.
However the home side recovered their composure, and Paul McVeigh pounced for his second goal of the game midway through the half, which proved to be the difference between the sides in the end.
Harps exerted all the early pressure, and went close to opening the scoring in the second minute when Gary Merritt and Kevin McHugh teamed-up, but the latter skied his volley, but when the same pair combined again seven minutes later, Harps took the lead.
Once again Merritt got away down the left, and he found space to pick out McHugh in the box, and the striker had his radar adjusted sufficiently to crash a volley past Conor Gleeson for the opener.
Shane Keogh almost had Mervue back on level terms within a minute, but his effort from distance crashed back off the crossbar with Ciaran Gallagher beaten in the Harps’ goal.
Both sides toiled to create any chances of note, but the home side doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when Aaron O’Hagan won possession in the middle of the park before feeding Paul McVeigh. The youngster played a one-two with McHugh before firing through the legs of Gleeson for his first senior goal for the club.
Again Mervue’s response was admirable, Jason Molloy going close with a rasping shot, and the visitors deservedly got back in the game in the 42nd minute when Molloy’s ball into the box was fumbled by Gallagher, and Murphy was on hand to fire home the loose ball.
For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.