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Harps battle back to force replay against Galway

Friday 15th June 2007, 11:15 pm

Finn Harps battled back in the closing moments to force a replay with Galway United in the second round of the FAI Cup. Galway scored twice in the early going before a late rally from Harps forced a replay in Ballybofey on Monday night.

Controversially the match's kick off time had been brought forward only hours before kick off - brought forward by thirty minutes in fact. Galway looked to have wrapped up their place in the third round before the original kick off time arrived when Derek Glynn scored twice in the opening 31 minutes.

Mayo man Glynn has burst on the scene in recent weeks and he opened the scoring after only 3 minutes as his pace took him past a couple of Harps challenges before he fired home.

Glynn got in again to make it 2-0 on 31 minutes as he slotted home Phillip Reilly's cross from close range.

Harps improved before the break but failed to find the net.

Harps got back into the game when Conor Gethins fired home a 73rd minute penalty after Galway keeper Gary Rogers had brought down Harps' Tony Shields.

Harps Jonathan Minnock was slightly fortunate to only escape with a booking after a poor challenge on Glynn and had Harps face into the closing minutes a man down then an equaliser would have seemed even less likely.

Stephen Parkhouse then struck for a dramatic equaliser just four minutes from the end. The Harps man headed in to set up a replay on Monday night.

Galway United : Rogers, Nooitmeer, Charles, McKenna, Reilly, O'Brien, James (Foley 64), Murphy, Russell, Glynn (Cooke 86), O'Flynn (Moran 71).
Finn Harps : Gallagher, Minnock, Boyle, Asokuh (Roddy 46), Holmes, O'Loughlin (Brolly 64) (Brown 70), Shields, McGowan, Curran, Gethins, Parkhouse.