Finn Harps won back to back games for only the second time this season, defeating Derry City 1-0 at Finn Park, fresh after their first away win of the season down in Waterford on July 19. Harry Ascroft popped up in the second half, scoring from a lo
Finn Harps won back to back games for only the second time this season, defeating Derry City 1-0 at Finn Park, fresh after their first away win of the season down in Waterford on July 19.
Harry Ascroft popped up in the second half, scoring from a long throw-in taken by Tony McNamee as Harps battled for a rare Northwest Derby win and a crucial boost in their survival bid.
The game was a huge milestone for veteran Raffaele Cretaro, who received an award before the game having made his 500th appearance in the SSE Airtricity League earlier in the season and the former Sligo Rovers man has stated that the recent break has been massively beneficial.
“It’s been a great return after the break, I think our form is right up there, without getting ahead of ourselves but the break has done us a world of good,” he said.
“We have come back in strong form and if we can continue that, then we are going to give ourselves a great chance,” he added.
Raff, who spent a season at Bohemians at the turn of the decade, joined Finn Harps at the start of the year after leaving Sligo Rovers and the Tubbercurry man says he is thoroughly enjoying his time with Harps.
“I am loving every minute of it, I can’t speak highly enough of Ollie(Horgan), he’s been good to me since I came in, he has managed me really well in regards to training and everything else.
“I said at the start of the season that I wasn’t coming here to make up the numbers. I’m still full of enthusiasm, and I’m hoping that it and the professionalism rubs off on the younger lads,” he noted.
Cretaro is the elder statesman in the Harps dressing room, and hopes that his experience in the League of Ireland can help guide Harps to Premier Division safety come the end of October.
“I think everybody believes we have a fighting chance, the last couple of results has shown that.
“The clean sheets are massive, we have to continue to do that, obviously Harry(Ascroft) has popped up tonight with the winner, it was Mikey(Place) last week, but the clean sheets are the big one because I think we will always get a goal,” he concluded.
