Wexford Youths 0-0 Finn Harps
Finn Harps goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher produced a series of top saves at Ferrycarrig Park to all but secure the Donegal side’s Premier Division status for next season.
The result sees Ollie Horgan’s Harps maintain their six-point gap over second-bottom Youths in the relegation play-off place and they now need just a point from their last match at home to Bohemians next Friday to be safe.
And they won’t even need to wait till then if Youths fail to win their back match at Cork City on Monday night.
Desperately needing a victory to put their destiny into their own hands, Youths boss Shane Keegan made just one change from last week’s defensively comedic 5-4 win over Galway United as Danny Furlong came in from the start in a two-pronged attacking alongside Paul Murphy.
Packie Mailey returned to the Harps’ defence while Sean Houston came back in, playing in the hole behind lone striker Ryan Curran.
Harps pressed Youths early on with Lee Grace doing well to block a shot from Curran after Houston got to the end line to pull the ball back inside two minutes.
A minute later Adan Hanlon raided on the right, cutting inside before curling a shot wide of Graham Doyle’s left-hand post.
Youths struggled to get into the game, their first incident in the Harps area coming on 16 minutes when Murphy was shown a yellow card for diving over visiting keeper Gallagher.
Youths didn't trouble Harps until the 31st minute when Gallagher got down well to his right to push Jonny Bonner’s long-range free kick round a post
With a better shape to them, Harps remained the compact, cohesive side, though, if wasting a glorious chance of the lead two minutes later.
Houston nodded Gareth Harkin’s corner back across goal where Packie Mailey somehow contrived to hook the ball over the bar from close range.
Youths had another let off five minutes before the break when Youths’ midfielder Aidan Keenan’s stray pass put Houston in the clear.
Doyle touched away the striker’s low drive with Curran’s follow-up from an acute angle flashing wide across goal.
Youths certainly had a little more about them into the second half, Furlong’s low drive bringing a decent save from Gallagher seven minutes in.
The game had opened up now with Harps’s pleas for a penalty when Hanlon went down in the box falling on deaf ears.
Gallagher was then called on to make the save of the game back at the other end on 58 minutes, tipping over Conor Whittle’s drive after Aidan Keenan, Murphy and Lee Chin carved the opening.
His opposite number Doyle was relieved to see Curran shoot into the side netting after he came and missed a deep cross from Funston.
But Youths were showing plenty of intent. Whittle worked Gallagher again with a drive straight at the Harps keeper before Murphy blazed over the top after Grace picked him out with a sublime diagonal pass.
But Gallagher had the final say deep in stoppage time when turning Chris Kenny’s shot round a post.
Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle; Craig McCabe (Aidan Dunne 81), Lee Grace, Chris Kenny, Andrew O’Connor; Conor Whittle (Shane Dempsey 90), Lee Chin, Jonny Bonner, Aidan Keenan; Paul Murphy, Danny Furlong.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Ethan Boyle, Josh Mailey, Packie Mailey, Ciaran Coll; Michael Funston (BJ Banda 72), Barry Molloy, Gareth Harkin, Adam Hanlon (Dave Scully 84); Sean Houston; Ryan Curran.
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
