JAMES MULLIGAN is likely to make his debut for Finn Harps in this evening's Premier Division clash with St Patrick's Athletic at Ballybofey. Mulligan registered with the club yesterday and met officials last night to complete the move.

Although Sligo and Finn Harps agreed not to reveal the transfer fee, Harps' club secretary Pat Gallen remarked that it is "not a lot less" than the £18,000 that Derry City had offered. The player, meanwhile, is likely to become one of the best paid footballers in the National League with his contract at Finn Park rumoured to be worth around £25,000 a year.

Mulligan had been expected to sign for Derry City earlier in the week, but the deal was initially held up by the absence of Sligo manager Jimmy Mullen, whose mother died suddenly in England last weekend.

The transfer subsequently unravelled during the week as Mulligan changed his mind about the personal terms that he had been offered, and despite a last ditch attempt by City officials, whose room for manoeuvre was severely limited by the tight wage policy at the club, to revive it the club was finally forced to end their pursuit of the striker on Thursday evening.

Rovers, though, made it clear they were intent on selling Mulligan anyway, and after a scramble yesterday which also involved St Patrick's Athletic and Shamrock Rovers, Finn Harps manager Charlie McGeever came up with a package that included the offer of a job as the club's commercial manager.

It's been a nightmare for me over the last couple of weeks but I'm happy with the way it has worked out now," said Mulligan last night. "I pulled out of the Derry deal because it was only part time football and I'd have had to get a job to survive. I haven't had to do that since I was 16, and with this move I'll be able to stay here, and keep training full time with Sligo."

His intention to remain in Sligo means, Mulligan says, that he will probably not be taking up the commercial manager's position at his new club. They said that was there for me if I was interested, but to be honest I think I'd prefer to stick with the football.

Mulligan says that when the move to the Brandywell collapsed he told Sligo Rovers that he would remain with them until the end of the season when his contract would expire, but I was a little disappointed because the chairman took me aside and told me that they wanted to sell me anyway. They were afraid that I'd go north at that stage and they wouldn't get a fee for me.

Now he has gone to a club who were rumoured to be in considerable financial trouble over the summer. Since then they have signed Stuart Gaold and narrowly missed out on Liam Coyle and, according to Gallen, Harps remain on a sound financial footing.