Sporting further strengthen team

Sporting Fingal have completed the signing of 25-year-old defender Stephen Paisley from St. Patrick’s Athletic.

Fingal manager Liam Buckley expressed his delight at the decision of the former Ireland Under-21 International to join the club.

“Stephen has been a consistent performer in the League of Ireland for both Longford Town and St. Patrick’s Athletic over the past five years and will add quality to our squad,” he said.

“We have strengthened the squad with a view to building on our third-place finish last season, which was our first campaign in the League of Ireland since the club was established in 2007.

“Stephen was keen to be part our set-up and impressed with our initiatives to develop a strong community spirit through sport in Ireland’s fastest growing county of Fingal.

“As someone who is combining his studies with a football career, he was also attracted to the club because of the recent launch of our scholarship scheme, being run in collaboration with Dublin City University (DCU) and the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB).”

Paisley is the club’s sixth pre-season signing, following former St. Patrick’s Athletic colleague Gary O’Neill, Drogheda United trio Eamon Zayed, Shaun Maher and Shaun Williams along with UCD midfielder Shane McFaul to Morton Stadium. Buckley has also secured the services of Derry City goalkeeper Darren Quigley on a season-long loan.