Sporting Fingal 2 - 2 Kildare County

Two late Robbie Doyle goals saved Sporting Fingal the embarrassment of a home loss against a very poor Kildare County side on Thursday night.

Barry Slattery had given the visitors a surprise early lead on twelve minutes with a superb twenty yard strike and after he played in Ciaran Kilduff on seventy four minutes to double the lead Sporting looked a beaten side. But a penalty with eight minutes to go and a ninety third minute effort earned the hosts a point, leaving their promotion ambitions further dented.

The game started poorly with Kildare enjoying plenty of time in Sporting’s half as both sides seemed reluctant to string many passes together. When Slattery got the ball twenty five yards from goal on twelve minutes, noone in black felt the need to close him down. He looked up and sent a brilliant curling shot into the far corner to the delight of the travelling fan (singular).

Sporting huffed and puffed but never looked dangerous in the first half hour, however eventually they made their height up front count with Peter Hynes and Robbie Doyle winning free headers all over the park.

Five minutes before the break Doyle nodded a Fiachra McArdle ball across goal. Austin O’Neill feebly slapped the ball three feet in front of him but the onrushing Chris Deans somehow shot over from six yards. A minute later McArdle was again the supplier however Philip Byrne’s free header went just wide.

Kildare got forward on fifty minutes and should have scored through Slattery again after Steve Williams made a meal of an easy Ciaran Kilduff header however his shot from two yards went wide.

Sporting were attacking in the second half and would have equalised on the hour after Brian Kelly crossed onto Aidan Collins head however William Tyrell blocked it on the line. Now crosses were flying in as Sporting fully realised their dominance in the air.

Conan Byrne’s cross on sixty four minutes was fumbled by O’Neill but Sporting couldn’t get a leg to the ball in time. Another Byrne cross was headed wide by Doyle before Kildare scored a surprising second.

Slattery broke from the halfway line with little over a quarter hour remaining and played a perfect ball along the ground for Kilduff to race Philip Byrne to. Kilduff just made it ahead of him and squeezed the ball past the onrushing Williams leaving Sporting shell shocked.

However Alan Clarke did all he could to help the hosts recover with eight minutes remaining after he needlessly used his arm to control a long ball with no Sporting player near. The linesman flagged for a penalty and Robbie Doyle dually despatched it to create a tense finish.

Paul Caffrey and David Corcoran both hit late volleys however couldn’t find the net until a deep Brian Kelly cross, seconds from the end, was flicked on by Caffrey to Doyle to poke home on the final whistle. Given the circumstances, Sporting will be pleased with the point but this leaves their promotion push all the further from Shelbourne at the top.

Final Score Sporting Fingal 2-0 Kildare County.

Sporting Fingal: Steve Williams; Derek Tyrell, Philip Byrne, Chris Deans (Willie Doyle 72), Brian Kelly; Conan Byrne, Aidan Collins, Paul Caffrey, Fiachra McArdle; Peter Hynes (Dinny Corcoran 46), Robbie Doyle.
Subs not used: Jim Crawford, Joey O’Neill, Paul Malone.

Kildare County: Austin O’Neill; Alan Clarke, Paul Donnelly, Willie Tyrell, Barry Clancy; Barry Slattery, Michael Roche (John Brophy 42), John Broderick (Ger Robinson 69), Cathal Brady (Kieran Harte 87); Ciaran Kilduff, Eoin Kavanagh
Subs not used: Baba Issaka, Charlie Treacy.

Referee: Ian Stokes (Dublin).