Misfiring Finn Harps finally stopped the goal drought and in the process climbed out of the bottom two, with a much-needed point at basement side, Galway United on Friday night.

Goals from the front two of Conor Gethins and the returning Stephen Parkhouse - their first of the season - helped the Donegal side to a 2-2 draw at Terryland Park.

With Cobh losing 0-1 at home to Bohemians on Saturday, the draw means that Harps stay above them in 10th spot.

Having gone over 700 minutes without a goal, this result and the performance was the perfect boost to a side which had been struggling for confidence and form for some time.

Midfielder Shaun McGowan says the team can now build on Friday's display.

"It was good to come back from a goal down twice and earn a point and good to get a couple of goals because it's been a while," he said. "We showed great willingness to keep going and get back into the game and Parky scored a brilliant goal. It's definitely something to build on for next week against Shamrock Rovers.

"It was a big game because Galway could have come to within a point of us if they'd managed to win. We've also managed to stop the rot because we'd lost six games in the league in a row. Confidence was low but we had a good week's training. We had a meeting during the week and we got the heads up and I think it showed with that performance."

On Friday night, Shamrock Rovers come to Ballybofey for the final fixture in the opening round of games. The following weekend, Harps make the long trip to Cobh for a repeat of the first match of the season which ended in a 1-0 Harps win in Ballybofey.

Harps boss Paul Hegarty will be back in the dug-out this weekend having served the last of his four game touchline ban at Terryland Park.

Stephen Parkhouse marked his return from injury with a spectacular equaliser to earn Harps the point against Galway. The striker's wonder-goal 20 minutes from the end was just reward for a Harps team who twice came from behind in an absorbing contest. It also finally brought to an end the Harps' goal drought. They'd gone well over 700 minutes without a goal before Conor Gethins hit his first of the season on the half hour.

That goal equalised Galway's opener which came just beforehand when Harps were punished for a calamitous piece of defending that allowed John Russell in to score. Stuart Malcolm and Shaun Holmes were the players involved - both defenders leaving the ball to the other man and as they stood looking at each other, Russell stole in to slam the ball past James Gallagher.

The travelling supporters thankfully didn't have too long to wait for the equaliser. Within 90 seconds, Conor Gethins had drawn the sides level with his first of the season. The Lifford man ran onto a delightful flick from Parkhouse and kept his nerve to round the keeper and tuck the ball home. Galway looked the more dangerous coming forward in what was an entertaining first half, although the Harps defence did themselves few favours by allowing their opponents far too much time and space in the final third.

Stephen O'Flynn and Jay O'Shea both had good chances before O'Flynn set up Gary Deegan just inside the area but with only Gallagher to beat, the midfielder fired first time wide of the target.

Parkhouse's return to the Harps frontline certainly had a telling impact for the visitors and he was involved in the build-up to one of Harps best chances of the half - this time however, Gethins was just wide with a looping effort from 16 yards.

Galway lost O'Flynn to injury at half time but they still looked pretty dangerous when coming forward and they snatched a second eight minutes after the restart. Again, some woeful Harps defending allowed Galway in on goal - Holmes' slip in front of goal pounced on by O'Shea and he beat Gallagher with a well struck effort.

Holmes, the two costly errors aside, didn't have a bad game. And he was the most relieved man in the ground when Parkhouse hit the equaliser on 71 minutes. Shaun Williams and Conor Gethins were involved in a breakaway which led to a Chris Breen shot being blocked but Parkhouse followed up and smashed an unstoppable first time volley into the top corner from 20 yards. The home side pressed for a third in the closing stages but Harps comfortably held out and at the finish it was a vital point gained in the battle to avoid the dreaded drop.

Galway United: Gary Rogers, Regi Nootimeer, Mark McCulloch, Wes Charles, John Fitzgerald, Gary Deegan, Jay O'Shea, John Russell, Vinny Faherty (Derek Glynn 86), Stephen OFlynn (Mark Leech 45), Derek O'Brien.

Finn Harps: James Gallagher, Aaron Labonte, Shaun Holmes, Declan Boyle, Stuart Malcolm, Tony Shields, Chris Breen (Michael Funston 75), Shaun McGowan, Conor Gethins, Stephen Parkhouse, Shaun Wiliams.
Referee: Anthony Buttimer.