Sporting Fingal 2 St Patrick's Athletic 3:DEREK DOYLE snatched all three points for St Patrick's Athletic with a 90th-minute winner at Morton Stadium last night.
Shaun Williams put Fingal ahead on 38 minutes before St Patrick’s turned the game around with goals from Vinny Faherty on 60 minutes and David McAllister on 63 minutes.
Conan Byrne equalised for Sporting Fingal on 76 minutes but Doyle pounced at the death to steal the points. Doyle could have had St Patrick’s ahead early on but shot wide of Darren Quigley’s left hand post on 17 minutes.
Fingal took the lead on 38 minutes when Shane Guthrie slipped when trying to clear John Frost’s cross and hooked the ball into the path of the grateful Williams who shot past Gary Rogers.
Williams had a header ruled out on 51 minutes after pushing in the area before a stunning period of play then saw St Patrick’s race into the lead with two quick goals.
They were level on the hour-mark when Ian Bermingham played a one-two with Doyle and delivered the ball in to Faherty who flicked the ball past Quigley at his near post. The second came on 63 minutes. McAllister took possession inside his own half, played the ball to Faherty and continued his run. Faherty returned the ball perfectly for McAllister to smash it past Quigley.
The lead lasted until the 76th minute when Gary O’Neill provided the pass for Byrne to rifle past Rogers but Doyle headed past Quigley to secure a dramatic late win.
SPORTING FINGAL: Quigley; O'Brien, Maher, Browne, Frost; C Byrne (Kirby 77 mins), Williams, Finn, Cahill (Zayed 72 mins), McFaul; O'Neill (Crowe 81 mins).
ST PATRICK'S ATH: Rogers; Pender, Bermingham, Kenna, Guthrie; McAllister, S Byrne, O'Connor (O'Brien 90 mins), Guy (Cash 87 mins), Doyle; Faherty.
Referee: R Winter (Wicklow).
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