Sporting Fingal 1-0 Kildare County
Credit:
Sporting Fingal kept up the pressure on their rivals at the top of the First Division after a hard fought one-nil win against bottom side Kildare County at Morton Stadium. Eamon Zayed’s 65th minute header from Conan Byrne’s cross was all that separated the sides. Kildare might consider themselves unlucky not to come away with a point especially after Darren Quigley pulled of two crucial saves for the hosts.
The visitors set out their defensive stall early as they played with five across the middle of the park in an effort to restrict the home side and avoid a repeat of the 8-1 drubbing they got earlier in the year. Ross Gaynor was proving to be the key man for Fingal in the opening stages as his crossing from wide areas was causing Kildare problems. Gaynor had a great chance to open the scoring in the first ten minutes but he failed to connect with Byrne’s deep cross.
Liam Buckley side suffered a blow when captain John Frost was to be taken off after landing awkwardly in the 25th minute. Shane McFaul came on in his place and the substitute played a part in the main talking point of the first half on 40 mins. McFaul’s long pass found the run of Gaynor who was bearing down on goal. Kildare centre back Dean Lawrence stepped across and dragged the winger to the ground. The linesman flagged for the foul immediately but the referee over ruled his assistant to the anger of the home supporters. The thoroughbreds hung on to go into the break with the clean sheet that their dogged defending deserved.
Shortly after the restart Philip Hughes was the first name in the referee’s notebook after a poor tackle on Gareth Whelan. Kildare almost took a shock lead in the 50th minute when O’Brien clipped a lovely through ball in behind the Fingal back four. The pass was met by Farrell who blasted a volley that seemed destined for the back of the net. Somehow Quigley got a strong hand up to pull off a top drawer save.
Liam Buckley brought on Gary O’Neill on the hour mark in an effort to break the deadlock and the substitution paid dividends. O’Neill picked out Conan Byrne free down the right wing and the winger stood up a lovely cross up to the back post. Eamon Zayed rose highest in the box and the striker planted his header into the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
Kildare refused to lie down after the goal however and almost stunned the hosts in the 72nd minute. David O’ Riordan found a yard of free space just outside the Sporting Fingal box and slipped through Philip Hughes. The striker had a clear sight of goal and managed to get his shot away under pressure but once again Quigley was equal to it.
Fingal continued to create chances yet they were unable to put the game to bed as Liam Buckley was forced to endure a nervous final few minutes. His side managed to hold out however as their promotion charge gathers pace. Joey Somerville can take heart from his player’s improving performances but the thoroughbreds still remain stranded at the bottom of the table.
Sporting Fingal: Quigley; Gannon, Whelan, Frost (McFaul), Fitzgerald; Kirby, Bayly, Williams (O'Neill); C. Byrne (James), Gaynor, Zayed. Subs Not Used: Horgan, McArdle.
Kildare County: McDonnell; Byrne, Tiernan, Laurence, Issaka; O'Brien, Jackson, Brady, Farrell; Hughes, O'Riordan. Subs Not Used: Lee, Kinsella, Bowers, Barrett.
Extratime.ie Man of The Match: Conan Byrne - Full of running, creativity and set up the goal
The visitors set out their defensive stall early as they played with five across the middle of the park in an effort to restrict the home side and avoid a repeat of the 8-1 drubbing they got earlier in the year. Ross Gaynor was proving to be the key man for Fingal in the opening stages as his crossing from wide areas was causing Kildare problems. Gaynor had a great chance to open the scoring in the first ten minutes but he failed to connect with Byrne’s deep cross.
Liam Buckley side suffered a blow when captain John Frost was to be taken off after landing awkwardly in the 25th minute. Shane McFaul came on in his place and the substitute played a part in the main talking point of the first half on 40 mins. McFaul’s long pass found the run of Gaynor who was bearing down on goal. Kildare centre back Dean Lawrence stepped across and dragged the winger to the ground. The linesman flagged for the foul immediately but the referee over ruled his assistant to the anger of the home supporters. The thoroughbreds hung on to go into the break with the clean sheet that their dogged defending deserved.
Shortly after the restart Philip Hughes was the first name in the referee’s notebook after a poor tackle on Gareth Whelan. Kildare almost took a shock lead in the 50th minute when O’Brien clipped a lovely through ball in behind the Fingal back four. The pass was met by Farrell who blasted a volley that seemed destined for the back of the net. Somehow Quigley got a strong hand up to pull off a top drawer save.
Liam Buckley brought on Gary O’Neill on the hour mark in an effort to break the deadlock and the substitution paid dividends. O’Neill picked out Conan Byrne free down the right wing and the winger stood up a lovely cross up to the back post. Eamon Zayed rose highest in the box and the striker planted his header into the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
Kildare refused to lie down after the goal however and almost stunned the hosts in the 72nd minute. David O’ Riordan found a yard of free space just outside the Sporting Fingal box and slipped through Philip Hughes. The striker had a clear sight of goal and managed to get his shot away under pressure but once again Quigley was equal to it.
Fingal continued to create chances yet they were unable to put the game to bed as Liam Buckley was forced to endure a nervous final few minutes. His side managed to hold out however as their promotion charge gathers pace. Joey Somerville can take heart from his player’s improving performances but the thoroughbreds still remain stranded at the bottom of the table.
Sporting Fingal: Quigley; Gannon, Whelan, Frost (McFaul), Fitzgerald; Kirby, Bayly, Williams (O'Neill); C. Byrne (James), Gaynor, Zayed. Subs Not Used: Horgan, McArdle.
Kildare County: McDonnell; Byrne, Tiernan, Laurence, Issaka; O'Brien, Jackson, Brady, Farrell; Hughes, O'Riordan. Subs Not Used: Lee, Kinsella, Bowers, Barrett.
Extratime.ie Man of The Match: Conan Byrne - Full of running, creativity and set up the goal
