FINN HARPS, who beat Waterford United 3-0 at a packed Finn Park on Saturday night had their promotion confirmed yesterday after Cobh Ramblers' disastrous end to the season continued with their 1-0 defeat to Limerick at Hogan Park.

After 10 seasons in the First Division Harps have reached the Premier, having been beaten in the play-off in the last two years.

It was a personal triumph for their manager, Dermot Keely, who took charge only six weeks ago.

The game had to be delayed for an hour due to the late arrival of Waterford whose bus broke down in Slane. But the patient crowd of almost 4,000 got what they came for.

Once Maurice Toland opened the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard shot after 26 minutes Harps never looked back. Alan Doherty added a second a minute before half-time with a shot from the edge of the box.

Toland capped a magnificent night for himself with a glorious second goal on 78 minutes when heading home captain John-Gerard McGettigan's corner.

The Home Farm-Everton versus Bray Wanderers match scheduled for Saturday night was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, but goes ahead at Whitehall tonight.

And that now gives Home Farm-Everton the perfect incentive to take the play-off spot after Cobh's latest debacle culminated in having goalkeeper Michael Devine sent off 15 minutes from time for pulling down Antonio Izzi as they lost in Limerick, their third defeat in succession.

Izzi is claiming the game's only goal after 20 minutes. Devine fumbled a Paul Carr corner, and as the ball bobbled around the area Izzi says he headed it into the net, though many observers claim that it went in off Cobh's Niall Abbott.

Abbott should have scored at the correct end mid-way through the second-hall, but hit a post after Limerick goalkeeper Eddie Hickey's mistake left him with an open goal.