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Premier•First•Underage
 
 
 
Sporting Fingal 1 Finn Harps 0
Sunday, 05 April 2009 21:54

An Eamon Zayed goal just before half time was the difference between these two sides at Morton Stadium on Friday evening.  The victory moves the Dublin side to within striking distance of the top two of UCD and Shelbourne, while for the young Harps side, they can take great confidence from a game against a team who were tipped to run away with the First Division title prior to the start of the season.

Finn Harps Manager Paul Hegarty made two changes from the team which beat Kildrum Tigers in the midweek EA Sports Cup victory.  Michael Funston returned in place of Brian Lafferty and Gary Whoriskey made way for Mark Forker.

The home side got off to the better start despite the poor conditions.  Harps held off the early pressure from their opponents.

Neither side managed to create any chances in the opening twenty minutes of the game and both resorted to playing long balls to their target men.

Sporting Fingal's dominance paid off just before half time when Finn Harps failed to clear a Conan Byrne free kick.  The clearance fell to the feet of Eamon Zayed who coolly dispatched it past Gavin Cullen in the Harps net.

Zayed's goal gave Fingal a massive boost and they came out all guns blazing in the second half.

Harps were dealt a massive blow early in the second half when Cullen had to come off after he appeared to fall awkwardly on his ankle.

Fingal were unlucky not to add a second as first Doyle and then Zayed came agonisingly close to finding the net.

Harps never really pressured Quigley or the Fingal defence as the Dublin side ran out comfortable winners in the end.

Finn Harps:  Gavin Cullen, Michael Funston, Cornelius Gallagher, Johnny Havlin, Marc Mukendi, Shaun McGowan, Christy Conaghan, Ruairi Harkin, Sean Houston, Mark Forker, Conor Gethins.  Subs: Ciaran Gallagher (for Cullen), Brian Lafferty (for Gallagher), Alan Gethins (for Forker), David McDaid, Patrick Bonner.

Sporting Fingal:  Darren Quigley, Colm James, Stephen Paisley, Shaun Williams, Alan Kirby, Philip Byrne, Conan Byrne, Robert Bayly, Eamon Zayed, Robbie Doyle.  Subs: Ross Gaynor (for Byrne), Brian Gannon, James Hussey, Fiachra McArdle, Gareth Whelan.

Referee:  P. Tuite
 
 
 
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