Harps new boys Houston and Molloy set to miss several weeks

After their opening day derby victory over neighbours Derry City, Finn Harps will travel to Oriel Park on Friday evening with a spring in their step to face back-to-back League Champions Dundalk.
The lilywhites are without doubt the best team in Ireland at the moment and won the double of League and FAI Cup last season as a follow up to their League title the previous year.
Harps, and their Manager Ollie Horgan, are in no doubt as to the task that face them on Friday evening, but having gained promotion last season these are the very games that they have been looking forward to since the play-off victory against Limerick last November.
“Dundalk are a serious side and no-one gives us much of a chance going there on Friday,” said Horgan as he looked ahead to his side’s first away game of the campaign.
“We will struggle along the way this season,” he said, “especially away from home, and Dundalk away is at the top of that list. We could play well on Friday and still come out on the end of a heavy defeat. However, we’ll go there to give it a go and see where that takes us.”
Horgan gave five players their debuts last weekend, including the two goalscorers David Scully and Ryan Curran. Naturally, Horgan was delighted with how those new in blue performed.
“Our new players have settled in well and have the same honesty as the lads already there so they have fitted in perfectly and bought into what we are trying to do. As I said before, all the new faces will have their part to play throughout the season – as will every member of the squad.”
Horgan has a number of injury worries ahead of the visit to the Champions on Friday. Barry Molloy and Sean Houston could be facing several weeks out after both left the field injured during last Friday’s 2-1 derby victory and join the already injured duo of Josh Mailey and Michael Rafter.
Houston suffered a hamstring injury in the first half while Molloy has been on crutches with a knee injury.
Packie Mailey is a doubt and faces a late fitness test.
Friday’s meeting will be the first game between the clubs since the one-legged Promotion/Relegation play-off semi-final at Finn Park in November 2007 – a game Harps won 2-0 thanks to goals from Stephen Parkhouse and Marc Brolly. Harps would go on to win promotion with a 6-3 aggregrate victory over Waterford United while Dundalk would go up the following year as Harps came straight back down again.
The last Premier Division meeting between the sides was in May 1999 at Finn Park when a Fergal Harkin goal gave Harps a 1-0 victory that also confirmed Dundalk’s relegation to the First Division.
After Friday’s game, it’s a quick turnaround as Harps are back in action again on Monday night when Shamrock Rovers visit Finn Park.