Edogun on the spot as Finn Harps overcome Longford Town

Success Edogun's penalty early in the second half fired Finn Harps to third successive win – and firmly back within reach of the play-offs.

Edogun blasted home a 47^th minute spot kick to give Harps the edge on basement boys Longford Town in front of 1,014 at Finn Park on Friday night.

After winning three-in-a-row for the first time in 2024, Darren Murphy's men are now just a point off fifth-placed Bray Wanderers.

The second half was barely a minute old when Max Hutchison – fed by half-time replacement Aaron McLaughlin - was taken down just inside the penalty area. Referee Oliver Moran pointed to the spot and, with many of the attendance still scurrying back to their perches, Edogun fired home at the Town End.

The goal, the 23-year-old's 10^th of the season, lifted a timid affair considerably and captain Tony McNamee powered wide from the edge of the box moments later.

In front of the watching Tom Mohan, the former Harps midfielder who is now managing the Republic of Ireland U19s, McLaughlin and Sean Patton both featured having been a part of the Irish set-up in the last week for games against France and Slovenia.

On the back of a 4-1 win over Athlone Town the previous week – their biggest win so far in 2024 - Murphy kept an unchanged line-up on an emotional night for the Harps boss. The game was preceded by a minute's silence in memory of his father Bertie, who was laid to rest on Wednesday.

Harps might have nicked an early lead when an error by Harry Halwax, the visiting goalkeeper, presented Max Johnston with a chance. Johnston, though, couldn't convert.

Edogun, who scored twice in the big win at Athlone, found himself with a sight of goal soon after, but the striker was unable to hit the target.

Longford, for their part, arrived in Ballybofey as the First Division's bottom side. The Midlanders had won just once in their previous eight, but that came six days before they boarded the bus for Donegal. Daniel Norris' goal secured a badly-needed 1-0 win over Bray last weekend.

Former Harps player Bastien Hery and Dean O'Shea came into the Longford XI with Shane Elworthy and Ross Fay dropping out.

Longford fired a timely warning across the Harps brows in the 14^th minute. Ukrainian midfielder Viktor Serdeniuk saw his effort from 25 yards deflect past the reach of Oisin Cooney, but out for a corner.

At the other end, Ferry and Johnston combined to good effect with the latter seeing a teasing first-time cross hacked away at the front post.

Longford should have led at the break but Daniel Norris, having beaten the offside trap, prodded inches wide with only Cooney to beat. The collective exhale around Finn Park was enough to explain the moment.

Harps had the perfect start to part two thanks to Edogun's penalty and not long pas the hour David Cawley drilled into the hands of Halwax from long range.

With 12 minutes to go, Edogun, who was now on the right-hand side after the enforced withdrawal of McLaughlin due to an injury, forced Halwax into action with a thumping attempt.

Serdeniuk wasn't far away again to send a blast of nervous energy through the old place in the 81^st minute, but Harps had done enough.

Finn Harps: Oisin Cooney; Matthew Makinson, Noe Baba, Kevin Jordan; Jamie Watson, David Cawley, Max Hutchison, Max Johnston (Aaron McLaughlin h-t (Sean Patton 76)); Tony McNamee; Patrick Ferry, Success Edogun.

Longford Town: Harry Halwax; Dean O'Shea, Karl Chambers (Emmanuel James 76), Jamie Egan, Kyle O'Connor; Eric Yoro, Emre Topcu, Viktor Serdeniuk, Daniel Norris; Bastian Hery (Jordan Adeyemo 76), Francis Campbell (Chris Lotefa 76).

Referee: Oliver Moran.