Sporting Fingal 4-1 Drogheda United

• Niall Farrell
• Sat, Mar 27 2010


Drogheda United remain second from bottom after somehow losing 4-1 to Sporting Fingal at the Morton Stadium in a match in which the scoreline did not accurately reflect the balance of play.

The home side got the perfect start when they took an early lead through ex-Drogs striker Eamon Zayed after just six minutes. Zayed calmly put the ball 'keeper Paul Skinner after a Conan Byrne cross from the left.

The visitors instantly went looking for an equaliser, and found it on 12 minutes through Robbie Martin. Scoring his first ever goal in claret and blue, Martin finished after a penalty area scramble.

Brendan McGill starred for the away side in the first half, marauding down the Fingal flanks and crossing dangerously on several occasions. However, against the run of play, Sporting took the lead after 25 minutes.

Ronan Finn started and finished a move involving Byrne and Gary O'Neill, the ex-UCD midfielder scoring with a stunning low drive from 30 yards out.

Finn could have earned The Ravens a penalty just before half time as the last Drogheda defender appeared to have hauled him down in the box, but it was judged not to be a penalty. Sporting came out from the break with a renewed attacking impetus.

For all this, Liam Buckley's side's third was a fortunate one when Jamie Harris diverted a Byrne cross into his own net on 47 minutes. Vying to scramble back a two-goal deficit, Drogheda did have their chances, but Fingal largely dominated for the rest of the match.

On 66 minutes Paul Crowley spurned a golden chance to claw one back for the Drogs as the defender shot over an open goal from yards out and the final nail was put in the Drogheda coffin on 78 minutes.

After the away side failed to clear their lines, O'Neill turned inside Eoghan Osbourne and shot passed Skinner to make it 4-1.

Sporting Fingal: Clarke; Browne, Maher, Paisley (Quinn, 46), O'Brien; Byrne, Finn (James, 81), Williams, McFaul; O'Neill (Crowe 85), Zayed.
Unused subs: Gannon, Quigley

Drogheda United: Skinner, Crowley, Harris, McNally, Osbourne, King (Brennan 85), B McGill, E McGill (Daly 62), Fitzpatrick, Martin (Duffy 80).
Unused subs: Murphy, Tracey.

Referee: Richie Winter

Attendance: 1,266

Extratime Man of the Match: Conan Byrne