Late goal spoils good night for Fingal

EUROPA LEAGUE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND, FIRST LEG: CS Maritimo 3 Sporting Final 2A STOPPAGE-time Maritimo winner may have broken Sporting Fingal hearts, but manager Liam Buckley praised his players, insisting this tie is still very much in the melting pot.

“The objective coming here was to keep the tie alive going back to Dublin next Thursday and we’ve achieved that,” said Buckley.

“Scoring two goals away from home was vital but we are gutted to concede the injury-time goal. I can’t fault the efforts of my players and we’ll be confident going into the second leg.”

Goals from Glen Crowe and Lorcan Fitzgerald looked to have given Sporting a draw in a rollercoaster match. But with the clock in its 95th minute, Danilo Dias whipped in a deep cross from the right and Brazilian striker Tcho swept the ball past Brendan Clarke at the back post.

Trailing to Crowe’s first half lead, Maritimo made changes at the break and scored late on through Esteves and Cherrad. But Sporting left-back Fitzgerald punished an 87th minute error to level before the cruel late twist.

Due to major renovations at Maritimo’s home ground, Estadio dos Barreiros, the game was played at the Estadio da Madeira, home of fierce local rivals CD Nacional.

In a spectacular setting, 600 metres up atop a mountain, the stadium touches the clouds in an almost surreal atmosphere.

The ground is adjoined by a magnificent academy to which Madeira native Cristiano Ronaldo, a former youth player with Nacional, reportedly contributed half the construction costs.

Passing the ball, the official World Cup Jabulani, slickly, Maritimo had the first sniff of goal on five minutes when Alonso threaded a pass through for the run of Baba. But goalkeeper Clarke was fully alert and off his line to gather.

Sporting then had the game’s first real chance a minute later.

Alan Kirby, having won the free after a foul by Esteves, whipped a curler into the area and skipper Shaun Williams just failed to get decent purchase on his header which was side.

Ronan Finn was pivotal in Sporting getting their deserved lead on 32 minutes.

Working a one-two with Conan Byrne on the right, Finn delivered a stunning cross. Crowe pulled away from his marker brilliantly to plant a looping header over Pecanha and into the net.

Maritimo’s pressure finally told on 78 minutes when they got their deserved equaliser.

A superb cross in from the let by substitute Luciano wasn’t dealt with and Esteves arrived at the back post to squeeze the ball past Clarke with a diving header.

A blunder by Clarke, who spilled Robson’s long-range shot, gifted Cherrad a tap in to put Maritimo ahead on 85 minutes.

But Fitzgerald stunned Maritimo to lob home off a post two minutes later after a mistake by Esteves before Tcho provided the final twist in a rollercoaster game.

CS MARITIMO: Pecanha; Esteves, Guilherme, Robson, Alonso; Marquinho (Dias, h/t), Sousa, Tcho, Djalma (Luciano, 74); Baba, Kanu (Cherrad, h/t).

SPORTING FINGAL: Clarke; O'Brien, Hawkins (Maher, 73), Browne, Fitzgerald; Finn, McFaul, Williams; Byrne (Cahill, 88 mins.), Crowe (Zayed, 64 mins.), Kirby.

Referee: Luc Wilmes (Luxembourg).