Waterford United  0 – 0  Sporting Fingal

Waterford United last night missed the chance to really punish Shelbourne’s slip up against Wexford Youths, when they were held to a scoreless draw by Sporting Fingal at the RSC.

Though the game was light on incident, a makeshift-looking Blues side put in a much improved shift over last weekend’s against UCD, and at the end of the match were left to rue two missed opportunities that fell to Joe Mulcahy at either end of the second half. Kevin Waters’ suspension, Dave Warren’s on-going struggle with a groin strain, and a mid-week hamstring injury to Kenny Browne prompted a re-jig of the formation, that saw top scorer Graham Cummins return to his old berth at centre back alongside Kevin Murray. Mulcahy started on the left wing, and Vinny Sullivan made an immediate return to the fold, nominally starting up front alongside compatriot Willie John Kiely, but actually playing so deep as to be effectively a fifth midfielder, as the home side sought to match the 4-5-1 line-up of their opponents.

Fingal were first out of the blocks, Gary O’Neill getting his head to Alan Kirby’s cross from the left in the second minute, but putting it wide enough to not even momentarily trouble Michael Devine. On fifteen minutes the visitors gave more cause for concern, as Shaun Williams crossed from the right after a short corner. Devine half-cleared with a punch under pressure from O’Neill, but only as far as Conan Byrne on the edge of the box, whose poorly struck volley squirted through the crowded area and into the grateful arms of the keeper. At the other end, Alan Carey fired a 20 yard free kick just over on 18 minutes, and Vinny Sullivan had a couple of sights of goal, a well struck volley on 26 minutes that flew straight at Darren Quigley in the Fingal goal, and an ambitious long-range strike on the run two minutes from the break, well over the top. Chances were at a premium in a half characterised by the two sides cagily sounding each other out.

Just a minute after restart, though, United had a real chance to open the scoring. John Kearney sent Paul Walsh away down the right with a slide rule pass through the Fingal defence. Walsh’s cross was superbly delivered, and Joe Mulcahy ghosted in from the left to meet it, only to steer his side-foot volley over the top from eight yards out. Three minutes later, Conan Byrne’s inswinging free kick from wide on the left was allowed travel to the far post, with Devine needing to be alert to turn it away for a corner. After that early flurry of activity, the game settled back into the stalemate of the first half, only a couple of long range Blues free kicks to leaven the action.

It took until four minutes from the end of normal time for the second great chance for the Blues to grab the winner. Mulcahy did exceptionally well to win a long ball into the left channel, but he went for goal, blazing over from a tight angle when the low centre to Willie John Kiely in the six yards box, or a pull back to Dave Warren, unmarked on the edge of the area might have been more productive options. A quick break from the goal kick almost set Eamon Zayed away at the other end, but Devine, on his heels for so long in the half, was out quickly and down bravely to save at the striker’s feet. That was the last action of a game to forget for the fans, but after the match Stephen Henderson declared himself pleased with the way things went, and considering the changes forced upon his team, who proved more than a match for a very strong Fingal side, he might have a point.

Waterford United: Michael Devine; Alan Carey, Kevin Murray, Graham Cummins, Seamus Long; Paul Walsh, Stephen Grant, John Kearney, Vinny Sullivan (Dave Warren 67), Joe Mulcahy; Willie John Kiely - subs: Kevin Burns, Kieran Fitzgerald, Gary Dunphy, Paul Carey

Booked: Kearney, Kiely

Sporting Fingal: Darren Quigley, Brian Gannon, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Shaun Williams, Philip Byrne, Stephen Paisley, Conan Byrne, Robert Bayly (Robbie Doyle 79), Gary O’Neill (Eamon Zayed 79), Alan Kirby, Shane McFaul – subs: Chris Konopka, Eric Foley, John Frost

Booked: McFaul, Bayly

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork)