Sporting Fingal's acclimatisation to Premier Division football continues apace after Liam Buckley's side overcame a jittery first-half performance to dispose of struggling Drogheda United.

 

A week on from their late collapse at the hands of Bohemians, Alan Mathews' side will again be wondering how they've ended up on the wrong end of another four goal defeat.

 

They outplayed the hosts for much of an entertaining opening period, but the FAI Ford Cup holders possess some real quality up front and punished the visitors for their profligacy.

 

Fingal were ahead after just four minutes when Eamon Zayed finished well from Conan Byrne's low cross. But United reacted well and forced a number of corners and it was from the third that they drew level.

 

Brendan McGill's delivery was comfortably dealt with, but Garreth O'Connor's second ball was helped on by Alan McNally to Robbie Martin and the striker, playing on the wing, finally broke his Drogheda duck in his third season with a fine finish.

 

And a brilliant chance to double his tally came a minute later, but his fired Eric McGill's low cross over the bar, while Jamie Harris should have done better with a header from Brendan McGill's fine cross.

 

And they'd pay for those misses as Ronan Finn struck for Sporting's second, the midfielder playing Ger O'Brien down the right, he found Gary O'Neill and he laid the ball off to the onrushing Finn who drove a low shot past Paul Skinner.

 

Eric McGill missed another chance from a Brendan cross, while Brendan Clarke was lucky to escape when he let Brian King's deflected cross drop on to the cross bar.

 

But after Zayed had a penalty appeal turned down, the hosts went in front two minutes after the interval when Byrne beat Eoghan Osbourne and his cross came off Jamie Harris and went into his own net.

 

Byrne cracked a rising half-volley off the crossbar, while Paul Crowley missed a brilliant chance at the other end as he managed to turn Michael Daly's cross wide.

 

And Gary O'Neill finished the rout with twelve minutes on the clock, turning Osbourne to finish well after Shaun Maher had won a header from Byrne's free kick.

 

Sporting Fingal: Clarke; O'Brien, Browne, Maher, Paisley (Quinn 45); Finn, McFaul, Williams; Byrne, O'Neill (Crowe 85), Zayed.

 

Drogheda United: Skinner; King, McNally, Harris, Osbourne; B McGill, Crowley, E McGill (Daly 63), O'Connor; Martin (Duffy 80), Fitzpatrick.

 

Referee: Richie Winter (Dublin).