Galway Utd 0 Sporting Fingal 1:CONAN BYRNE grabbed the only goal of the game at Terryland Park as Liam Buckley's Sporting Fingal earned a valuable away win.
Fingal had to earn the victory against a gritty Galway United outfit that continues to battle bravely despite severe financial uncertainty in the west.
The first half was packed with opportunities at either end and Fingal ought to have hit the front on the stroke of half-time when Gary O’Neill slipped Eamon Zayed clear, but Barry Ryan saved well.
The Galway goalkeeper, though, failed to prevent Fingal from taking the lead in the 54th minute when Byrne ended a run with a blistering shot, and Ryan was unable to gather safely.
Galway rarely threatened in the closing stages as only a Rhys Meynell header elicited any panic in the visitors’ defence late on as Fingal confidently closed the deal.
GALWAY UNITED: Ryan; Conneely, Synott, McKenzie, Meynell; O’Brien, Curran, Foley (Molloy, 64), O’Donnell, Walsh; Sheppard.
SPORTING FINGAL: Quigley; O’Brien, Maher, Browne, Fitzgerald; Finn, Williams, McFaul; Byrne, O’Neill (Crowe, 70), Zayed (Cahill, 80). Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).
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