Leaders Harps look to build on first quarter results

Finn Harps host Shelbourne at Finn Park on Friday night and will hope to begin the second quarter of the season in the same way that the opening part of the campaign has gone.
Harps are undefeated in their opening seven games of the season and have kept clean sheets in all but one of their opening league fixtures.
Harps previous three games at Finn Park this season have all finished in victories for the home side but Ollie Horgan is remaining cautious ahead of the visit of Shelbourne on Friday evening.
“Shelbourne will be a very difficult game on Friday next,” said Horgan earlier this week.
“They caused us huge problems in the first game at Tolka Park, creating numerous one-on-one chances and we were lucky to get out of there with a point,” he said.
While Harps currently sit top of the pile in the First Division with a five point advantage to Wexford Youths in second place, Horgan isn’t getting carried away with his sides good start to the campaign.
“Of course we are happy to have made a decent start but we have had a little luck along the way and need that to continue,” said Horgan. “Every game so far that we have played could have gone in either direction. There isn’t a huge difference between any of the eight sides with any team capable of beating the other on a given day.”
Wilfried Tagbo will sit out the match against Shels after his red card in Wexford last Saturday. Damien McNulty, who missed the trip to Ferrycarrig Park, remains a doubt while Ruairi Keating joins him on the doubtful list. Packie Mailey remains out.
Harps defeated Shelbourne 3-2 at Finn Park at the tail-end of last season to end the Dublin sides hopes of finishing at the top of the First Division table. That win, however, is Harps’ only victory against Shels in the last fourteen meetings between the sides.
Having picked up seven points in their opening three league games this season, Shels have failed to win any of their last four games and have picked up just one point for a possible twelve – that coming in the 2-2 draw against Waterford at the RSC