Fitness telling for improved Finn Harps – Tony McNamee

Finn Harps captain Tony McNamee says the short-term focus is helping with gains for the long-term.

Having missed Harps’ 2-0 defeat in Kerry two weeks ago, due to his wedding, the Ramelton man returned to the side over the Bank Holiday weekend.

McNamee has been a key figure in Darren Murphy’s midfield and Harps earned four points in the four-day schedule, beating Wexford 1-0 and drawing 1-1 with Athlone Town.

Few expected Harps to make much inroads in 2024 having finished bottom-bar-one last year.

“We just wanted to improve this year,” McNamee says. “That was the aim.

“Teams in the first quarter might have shrugged a bit at us: ‘Sure they finished second bottom last year’ and expected the same.

“We had a good pre-season and played very good sides. We took that into the competitive games.

“We’re a fit team. There is no way of hiding this stuff now with all the technology that’s used.

“We were out of a lot of games last year in the first half, but we’re staying in games longer now. The crowd is really behind us too, they’re sticking by us.”

Harps sit in fourth spot, just two points off UCD in second, although Wexford in seventh are just two points off the Donegal side.

Harps have lost twice to Cobh this season, but head for St Colman’s Park again on Friday to face Gary Hunt’s side.

McNamee said: “We haven’t beaten Cobh yet. We need to take the last 20 minutes from the Athlone game and go to Cobh with a bit of confidence.

“Every team in the First Division is capable of beating every team. We just have to try to beat those teams around us in the table and keep looking to the next game.

“We haven’t steam-rolled anyone and we haven’t been hammered ourselves. It’s been a positive first half of the season for us. The first quarter was very good and we hit a lull, but we’re getting back to ourselves again.”

Patrick Ferry rescued a point for Harps on Monday against Athlone after they fell behind. While Ferry might have won it, a share of the points represented a useful evening at the office.

McNamee said: “Athlone had beaten Cork and were unbeaten in nine coming to play us, so a 1-1 draw after being 1-0 down is a good result.

“I felt that we were pushing for a win. When we scored we looked like we could go on to win it, but the ‘keeper pulled off a big save from ‘Dixie’ (Ferry).

“The crowd was trying to pull the ball into the net. Once we scored, we looked dangerous every time we went forward.”

Once again Harps will make the journey up and down on the one day to Cobh.

Manager Murphy has hailed his players. He said: “People might be sick of me saying it or backing the players, but what they go through on a weekly basis just to be out on the pitch, they deserve that.

“I doubt that any other team in Ireland will go through what we will this Friday to compete in a game. That’s what we all signed up for and I know I’ll get a committed performance.”