Sporting Fingal 1-0 Kildare County

Eamon Zayed helped Sporting Fingal to a hard fought victory against a defiant Kildare County in Morton Stadium.

Fingal controlled the early proceedings and threatened the Kildare goal on a number of occasions as the visitors held firm.

The home side were dealt a blow on the half hour mark as captain John Frost had to come off injured and was replaced by Shane McFaul.

Zayed could have felt hard done by when he was deemed to have fouled Kildare keeper Kevin McDonnell from a Bayly cross. Zayed appeared to win the ball fairly but referee Darren Coombes called play back before Zayed could regain control of the ball.

The Thoroughbreds came agonisingly close to opening the scoring on 51 minutes when Orrin Farrell’s volley was acrobatically saved by Darren Quigley in the Fingal net.

Zayed then had another great chance only for McDonnell to push the ball past the post.

Liam Buckley looked to his bench for inspiration as he brought the fit-again Gary O’Neill into the attack.

O’Neill’s return from injury inspired Fingal and it was within minutes of his introduction that the striker found Byrne at the corner of the box on 65 minutes and crossed for Zayed to head home.

Phillip Hughes then came close to levelling the game when he from the edge of the box only for Quigley to save well down to his left.

TEAMS:

Sporting Fingal (4-3-3): Quigley; Gannon, Whelan, Frost (McFaul 29), Fitzgerald; Kirby, Bayly, Williams (O’Neill 65); C. Byrne (James 90), Gaynor, Zayed.

Kildare County (4-4-2): McDonnell; Byrne, Tiernan, Laurence, Issaka; O’Brien, Jackson, Brady, Farrell; Hughes, O’Riordan.

Ref: D. Coombes (Dublin).

Attendance: 430.