O'Brien earns point for Fingal

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION Bohemians 1 Sporting Fingal 1:A WELL-TAKEN goal first goal of the season from Ger O'Brien earned Sporting Fingal a point in this game of two halves at Dalymount.

Paddy Madden maintained his goal rush with a seventh strike in four games as Bohs utterly dominated the first 45 minutes.

But with a scout from CS Maritimo, Sporting’s Europa League opponents later this month, in the crowd, the visitors stormed back in the second half to get a deserved equaliser.

Sporting keeper Brendan Clarke was early into action when getting down to hold a Ruaidhri Higgins drive on seven minutes.

The Sporting defence was breached after 25 minutes. Mark Rossiter touched on skipper Owen Heary’s long ball and Madden was onto it in a flash to lob the advancing Clarke.

Sporting didn’t threaten until the 52nd minute when skipper Shaun Williams headed wide from Conan Byrne’s corner. On 64 minutes Bohs defender Ken Oman could only help on Alan Kirby’s cross from the left to set up Byrne inside the area. But Oman got back to clear the shot off the line.

Bohs almost doubled their lead on 73 minutes. Substitute Raff Cretaro pounced on a Colm James mistake to put Madden in on goal but he fired against the post. Sporting were level within a minute, though. O’Brien burst forward from central defence, worked a one-two with Shane McFaul before side-footing past Murphy.

BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Shelley, Heary, Oman, Powell; Rossiter (Cretaro, 64 mins.), Higgins (Cronin, 81 mins.), Keegan, Quigley; McGlynn (Brennan, 85 mins.); Madden.

SPORTING FINGAL: Clarke; James, O'Brien (Gannon, 85 mins.), Browne, Fitzgerald; Byrne, McFaul, Williams, Kirby; Finn; Crowe (Zayed, 78 mins.) Attendance: 1,366

Referee: Derek Tomney(Dublin).