Preview: Finn Harps vs City

Cork City make the long journey to Ballybofey this week, as they take on Finn Harps on Friday evening. It will be a first competitive meeting of the sides since 2020, where the points were shared at the same venue.

Both sides come into the game off the back of opening day victories - Harps came from 2-0 down to defeat Longford Town at Bishopsgate, while 5,603 supporters watched Jack Doherty hit the net twice in an impressive City victory in the first-ever meeting with Kerry FC.

Ten of the eleven City players that started last week were making their City debut, and City boss Tim Clancy was pleased with what he saw from his new-look side. Speaking at his weekly press conference in Bishopstown, he said: “It was a really good start for us, in front of a very big crowd. There were parts of the game that we were very good in, there were parts where we could’ve been better, but that’s natural. Things will improve the longer the squad is together. Getting the win was the most important thing, and keeping a clean sheet was massive for us as well.”

“We’ve watched Finn Harps a few times now. They showed good character last week to come back from two-nil down so early. They showed real character and quality to get the goal late on. Finn Park is a tough place to play, but it’s no tougher than playing in front of 5,500 people at Turner’s Cross. I thought the young lads dealt with that really well. This will be a different game against different opposition, so we will pick a team that we think will help us win the game.”

No fresh injury concerns for City after last Friday’s game, but Bolger, Bargary and Dijksteel remain sidelined.

Friday’s referee will be Marc Lynch and will be assisted by Richard Storey & Sean Stephens. Michael Connolly will be the fourth official.

As always, keep an eye on our social media channels for matchday content! We will have live updates on our official X(previously Twitter) account, as well as other content across our Instagram & Facebook pages.

How Can I Watch?

This game, as well as every other match, will be streamed on the League’s official streaming platform, LOITV! You can purchase a match pass for €7, or a season pass for just €120, which gives you access to every Men’s Premier Division, Women’s Premier Division and Men’s First Division match!

Tickets

City supporters making the trip to Ballybofey can pick up their tickets from the Finn Harps website here

How Do I Get There?

Directions to Finn Park, Ballybofey are available here

Weather

It looks like it’s going to be a cold one at Finn Park! You can check the weather forecast here