O'Neill pulls strings as Sporting hit their stride

Sporting Fingal 4 Drogheda United 1:INSPIRED BY Gary O'Neill, Sporting Fingal won this thrilling game last night at Morton Stadium to record back-to-back victories.

O’Neill was involved in all that was good about Sporting, capping his display with their fourth goal.

Keeping faith with the side that earned their first win of the season at Bray last week, Liam Buckley’s players rewarded him with a terrific goal after just four minutes. O’Neill put Conan Byrne away on the right and his low cross was swept home by the in-rushing Eamon Zayed, a former title-winner with Drogheda.

The visitors responded superbly and hit back on 12 minutes to punish poor defending. A third corner from Brendan McGill simply wasn’t cleared and Alan McNally set up Robbie Martin to blast home.

Lifted by that, Drogheda should have been ahead within a minute. Again Sporting were in disarray at the back as Glen Fitzpatrick set up Eric McGill on the right, but Martin ballooned his cross over the bar from just yards out.

The virtual siege of the Sporting goal continued as Garreth O’Connor sent Brendan McGill down the right to cross and Jamie Harris put his header over the top.

Sporting may have struggled to defend, but they were most incisive at the other end and a stunning move saw them regain the lead on 25 minutes.

Ronan Finn began an interchange of passes with Ger O’Brien and O’Neill involved, before the midfielder got the ball back to drill a crisp drive past Paul Skinner from the edge of the area.

Drogheda were equally dangerous when they attacked with Brendan McGill a menace on the right.

Shane McFaul had to get back to take the ball off the toe of Eric McGill from his namesake’s cross.

Right-back Brian King then saw his cross deflected onto the bar as Drogheda remained well in the match.

But Sporting caught Drogheda cold to extend their lead within two minutes of the restart.

Byrne galloped away down the right, skinned Eoghan Osbourne and his low, hard cross was turned into his net by the unfortunate Harris.

It might have been 4-1 on 64 minutes. Zayed met O’Neill’s cross with a firm header, but Skinner made the save at full stretch. O’Neill then set up Byrne who blasted off the crossbar six minutes later.

In between, Drogheda should really have got one back, but Paul Crowley missed a sitter from Mick Daly’s cross.

But O’Neill sealed it 12 minutes from time. Shaun Maher won a header from Byrne’s free-kick and O’Neill turned Osbourne to scoop the ball home.

SPORTING FINGAL: Clarke; O’Brien, Browne, Maher, Paisley (Quinn, half-time); Finn, McFaul, Williams (James, 81 mins); Byrne, O’Neill (Crowe, 85 mins), Zayed.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Skinner; King, McNally, Harris, Osbourne; B. McGill, Crowley, E. McGill (Daly, 63 mins), O’Connor; Martin (Duffy, 80 mins.), Fitzpatrick.

Referee: Richie Winter (Dublin).