Sporting Fingal 2 - 2 Shamrock Rovers

• Colman Hanley
• Sun, Sep 13 2009


The Morton Stadium in Santry was the venue for what was a pulsating FAI Cup quarter-final that ended 2-2. Both sides will look back on what could have been, as each had chances to advance to the semi-finals. But, on the balance of play, it would have been harsh on either to have been beaten.

Rovers made three changes to the line-up that beat Saint Patrick’s Athletic last week, with Shane Robinson, Ross Chisholm and Graham Barrett coming in for the injured Ian Birmingham, suspended Stephen Bradley and top scorer Gary Twigg. For Fingal, Shaun Williams and John Frost replaced Fiachra McArdle and the injured Lorcan Fitzgerald.

The game started off slowly, with both sides doing no more than feeling each other out and snapping in with a few tasty tackles. However, the first genuine chance fell to the visitors, when Shane Robinson’s inswinging free was poorly cleared and Aidan Price’s shot went over Darren Quigley’s crossbar. Sporting’s first chance came after 18 minutes as Gary O’Neill created space for himself from a pass from Kirby, turned and fired over the bar.

In truth, Michael O’Neill’s team were only just beginning to move up a gear. Graham Barrett headed straight at Quigley from a Dessie Baker cross, while on 27 minutes Robinson’s delicious in-swinging free from the left struck the Fingal crossbar.

The goal that Rovers had been pressing for eventually came just three minutes later. As Sporting tried to play the ball out of their defence, Shaun Williams was dispossessed. Robinson fed the ball to Ross Chisholm in space, and his perfectly weighted pass found Baker. The in-form Rovers man passed the ball into the far corner of the net and wheeled away to celebrate in front of the large travelling support.

The goal clearly upset Fingal’s rhythm as they were two down within a further three minutes. Former Arsenal man Barrett fed Robinson down the right flank, and the Rovers' winger pulled the ball back to Chisholm. Despite being slightly off balance, the Scottish Under 21 International sweetly made contact with the ball and found Quigley’s top left hand corner. Despite a late first half effort from Conan Byrne, which Barry Murphy comfortably saved, the game looked to be slipping away from Fingal at the break.

However, Liam Buckley used his 15 allotted minutes well as Fingal emerged a completely different side in the second half. The energetic Williams and the lively Conan Byrne particularly stood up to take responsibility. Williams run from deep onto a Shane McFaul pass ended with Rovers' 'keeper Murphy turning his effort just wide of the post. Williams made no mistake, though, moments later in the 54th minute. McFaul’s pass behind Rovers' full-back Ollie Cahill found Conan Byrne, and the winger’s delivery across goal reached the in- rushing Williams, who buried the ball past Murphy.

This gave Fingal the momentum they needed, as five minutes later they were level. Cahill again was exposed as he needlessly chopped down Byrne in the corner when the Fingal player had nowhere to go. From Williams resulting free, Shaun Maher rose highest to head home from five yards. Fingal looked as if they might now go on to win, particularly as Rovers lost centre-back Aidan Price through injury while trying to prevent Maher’s goal. Soon after, Byrne again raided down the right flank, but his powerful effort found the top corner of the side netting.

Rovers brought on top-scorer Gary Twigg in an attempt to change their fortunes, but their star man made little impact on proceedings. A weak header from a Baker cross was all that Twigg contributed to this frantic Dublin derby. Fingal had further chances to win through Williams and Maher, who again tested Murphy from a set- piece, but it was Rovers who ended in the ascendancy. A deep cross to the far post of a crowded Fingal penalty area found Chris Sives and his goalbound header was acrobatically clawed away by Quigley.

The final chance of the game came to Rovers in the 96th minute, Cowen was released on the left but the young striker was denied by Quigley, who came out and smothered his effort well. All in all, a draw was a fair result as the cliché ‘a game of two halves’ best described this quarter-final. The sides must battle it out again on Tuesday at the Tallaght Stadium.

Shamrock Rovers: Murphy, Chisholm, Price (Treacy 62), Sives, Flynn, Cahill, Robinson, Stephen Rice, O’Connor, Baker (Cowen 81), Barrett (Twigg 66).
Subs not used: Mannus, Madden, Johnston, Amond.

Sporting Fingal: Quigley; Gannon, Maher, Paisley, Frost; Byrne, Bayly, Williams, McFaul (Foley 90+1), Kirby; O’Neill (Doyle 83).
Subs not used: Konopka, James, Byrne, Zayed, Dawson.

Referee: Richie Winter.

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Shaun Williams. It was a tough task to compete with Robinson, Rice and Chisholm in midfield, but in the second half Williams dominated the middle. He displayed great stamina in making a deep run from midfield to take his goal, and then minutes later his free found Maher to equalise.