Report: Sporting Fingal 2 - 0 Wexford Youths

Two second half strikes, through Robbie Doyle and Colm James, helped Sporting Fingal to an easy two nil win against a poor Wexford Youths' side. Wexford were far from their best as Sporting dominated the game throughout and deservedly got the win.

It was a tame start from both sides, in ideal conditions, as neither side threatened in the first fifteen minutes. It was the visitors who should have struck first after that poor opening though. Gavin Doyle, after fine passing, laid off Marty Kelly on the edge of Sporting’s box whose bullet of a shot flew two feet wide. Beyond that, the visitors had nothing, losing the corner count by twelve to one.

Hynes and Robbie Doyle were making the Wexford back trio of Garret Larkin, Stuart Lawlor and Shane Dempsey work hard as they chased everything up front and it was Doyle who nearly opened the scoring on twenty-seven minutes. Good play down the right from Brian Gannon releaser Aidan Collins who’s cross found Doyle at the back post but his strong header was tipped over.

From the resulting corner, Collins' had his header cleared off the line as Sporting began to dominate. Moments later another header from Doyle went wide, and a minute later he won the ball on the edge of the area only for his shot to be deflected over.

Fingal were really on top now with time and space down the right for both Gannon and Tyrell on the overlap. As the half wore on Conan Byrne on the left enjoyed the same amount of room on the left as Wexford struggled to contain the hosts. Whenever Wexford did attack, Sporting had enough in defence to handle it.

On forty-one minutes Robbie Doyle won a ball from a Gannon cross and but for Patsy Malone’s tackle, would have scored. Undeterred, Doyle readjusted and his shot from a narrow angle won Sporting their sixth of seven first half corners. Russell wasn’t looking at all assured in Wexford’s goal as the half closed with easy balls fumbled wide.

The second half began as the first ended with a Colm James shot whizzing wide from the edge of the area. Doyle was still a menace up front when Wexford seldom had the ball and Sporting as a whole closed down the opposition all over the park.

At the back, Dave Rogers and Aiden Collins were comfortable on the ball, under no pressure from a non-existent Wexford attack, and given time and space to use the ball as they wished. Far from the same treatment afforded to the Wexford back-line.

On fifty-five minutes, an unmarked run by James found Conan Byrne ,whose scuffed effort rolled into Russell’s hands however, moments later, Fingal finally found the net. Brian Gannon found room on the right to put a fine cross on Robbie Doyle’s head. The header was powerful and accurate as it flew in the top corner to give the hosts an incredibly deserved lead. Wexford were a non-entity going forward.

The next half hour saw Sporting play possession quite comfortably as Wexford’s impressively unsuccessful long ball game, was, impressively unsuccessful. In fact, had Doyle got his shooting boots on him tonight, Sporting would have run up a huge score in this one.

Sporting finally killed the game in the last minute as Colm James shot a bullet of a volley into the near post from outside the box after good work by Derek Tyrell and Brian Gannon.

Sporting Fingal: Steve Williams; Derek Tyrell, Dave Rogers, Aidan Collins, Brian Kelly; Brian Gannon, Colm James, Paul Caffrey, Conan Byrne (Fiachra McArdle 90), Peter Hynes (Dinny Corcoran 83), Robbie Doyle.
Subs not used: Philip Byrne, Chris Deans, Joey O’Neill

Wexford Youths: Jason Russell; Shane Dempsey (Johnny Flynn-O’Connor 65), Garrett Larkin, Stuart Lawlor; Patsy Malone, Anto Russell, Conor Sinnott, Gavin Doyle (Darren Browne 80), Martin Kelly; Kyle Dempsey (Danny Furlong 65), Richie Fitzgerald
Subs not used: Ricky Fox, Paul Rossiter.

Referee: Derek Tomney.

Man of the Match: Robbie Doyle (Sporing Fingal) - despite the leg warmers.