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Sporting take their chance to sit at the top table

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF: GOALS FROM in-form Eamon Zayed and Robert Bayly signalled Sporting Fingal’s…

Tue Nov 17 2009 - 00:00

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF:GOALS FROM in-form Eamon Zayed and Robert Bayly signalled Sporting Fingal's arrival in the Premier Division and relegated Bray after five years in the top flight.

Having been on the back foot for most of the night as Bray chased a 2-0 first leg deficit, FAI Cup finalists Sporting punished an error to take the lead on 59 minutes. Bray goalkeeper Chris O’Connor rushed off his line to clear Lorcan Fitzgerald’s long ball forward only to lose out to Gary O’Neill.

Bayly took a pass to set-up Conan Byrne to shoot. That brought a scramble which saw the ball cleared straight to Zayed who rifled to the net from the edge of the box.

O’Connor redeemed himself with a good save from Bayly five minutes later before former Bray player Zayed missed a sitter when put through one-on-one by O’Neill.

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But Bray gave it everything late on to produce a dramatic finale. John Flood lobbed Darren Quigley from Paul Byrne’s pass on 83 minutes to equalise and give Bray hope.

Goalkeeper O’Connor then remarkably headed Bray in front on the night from Gary McCabe’s 91st minute corner.

But Sporting hit back immediately when O’Neill rounded O’Connor and crossed to give Bayly a tap-in as Sporting celebrated their promotion less than two years after being founded.

Two down from Friday’s mud bath at Morton Stadium, Bray took the game to Sporting, with Quigley much the busier goalkeeper in the first half, a superb double save on 21 minutes of particular note.

Initially doing well to parry Flood’s drive at full stretch, Quigley knew precious little about Byrne’s instinctive follow-up which struck his body and was cleared.

Bray maintained the pressure and McCabe was guilty of slicing wide minutes later when Gareth Coughlan’s cross was cleared to his feet. The returning Dave Mulcahy then broke free into the box to win the first corner of the night off Quigley, who saved at his near post.

BRAY WANDERERS:O'Connor; Doyle, Foran, Deans, Cronin (Tresson, 68 mins.); McCabe, Mulcahy, Massey, Coughlan (Kelly, 63 mins.); Byrne, Flood.

SPORTING FINGAL:Quigley; James, Maher, Paisley, Fitzgerald; Bayly, McFaul, Williams (Kirby, 81 mins.); C Byrne, O'Neill (Foley, 90+5), Zayed.

Referee:Declan Hanney (Dublin).