Sporting Fingal  1 - 4  Waterford United

The team celebrate Cummins' goal

Waterford United came from an early goal down to take their hosts apart at Morton Stadium tonight, and even a harsh late red card for Seamus Long couldn’t take the gloss off the night for Stephen Henderson’s men. With as complete a performance as these eyes have witnessed in many years, United ran riot against a side packed with big-name players, in a game that was packed with incident.

The Blues were caught napping before a minute had elapsed, as Colm James took a quick free kick in midfield, feeding Conan Byrne wide on the right, and his low cross was turned back high inside the near post from close range by the lurking Eamon Zayed, with the Blues keeper and central defence passive. Two minutes later Zayed had another real chance, a free header from John Frost’s cross from deep, but he made much less of it than he might have.

After that early flurry the home side had the upper hand, playing with the confidence of that goal lead. That advantage wasn’t to last long, however, and on 15 minutes United’s on-fire striker Wille John Kiely raced onto Seamus Long’s clever ball into the left channel, chested it past Brian Gannon, and rifled it right-footed beyond the despairing dive of Darren Quigley and into the far corner from 15 yards out. Kiely was almost in again on 22 minutes, but Gareth Whelan was quick to knock Graham Cummin’s dangerous cross behind, Kevin Water’s low shot from the corner kick blocked away.

At the other end, moments later, a superb run from Alan Kirby set up Byrne to shoot, but Michael Devine produced an outstanding save to deny what should have been a second Fingal goal. And again, almost immediately, slack defending allowed Shaun Williams the chance to lob Devine, but the Blues keeper was grateful to see it drift wide. In an end-to-end half, Cummins once more got free down the left, and his deep cross fell nicely for Paul McCarthy, but his well struck volley cannoned into Frost’s back. Cummins was next to try his luck, letting fly from distance on 32 minutes, but a touch too high.

McFaul nods back for Zayed, but he will head over

Fingal fashioned another good chance on 36 minutes, as Ross Gaynor cross from the left for Byrne to power a header just over the top, but United took the lead four minutes later. Good work from McCarthy found John Kearney in a central position, and he played a clever ball through a crowded area for Waters. The winger couldn’t find space to shoot, well shepherded by Whelan, but he kept his cool, taking the ball to the right endline before turning and standing it up to the back post where Cummins rose highest to loop a header over Quigley and inside the far post. The Blues saw out the half on the front foot, and went into the break well on top.

Fingal came flying out of the traps after half-time, and within two minutes Zayed sent a far post header just over the top from six yards after McFaul had set him up. Almost immediately Kirby had a fleeting glimpse of goal, but fired his snap volley well wide of the far post. Handball shouts were traded on 52 minutes, as first Kevin Murray and then Colm James seemed to have blocked illegally, but the referee was unmoved on both occasions.

Waterford started to gain the upper hand once more as the half wore on, and a pinpoint Waters ball down the left on the hour mark deserved some reward, but Kiely’s deft flick in to Cummins from the end line was not matched by the big striker’s off-balance volley wide of the near post. Seven minutes later it was Kiely’s turn to spurn a chance. Caught in two minds whether to chip Quigley or cross for Cummins when sprung clear by McCarthy, the diminutive striker ended up doing neither.

Macca crosses from the right

The long threatened goal arrived on 70 minutes, however. As a well placed Carey corner was poorly cleared by Quigley, Long volleyed back in from beyond the far post, and Kenny Browne slid in to smash it home from close range. McFaul saw a dangerous header wide of the far post at the other end, but Kiely put the seal on matters on 77 minutes, pouncing as Frost miscontrolled Cummins’ header on from a high ball, and finishing low to the far corner past the suddenly exposed keeper.

Barely a minute later things took a turn for the worse for the visitors, when Seamus Long was harshly adjudged the last man as Kirby slipped Zayed away, and his shirt pull earned a red card. It mattered little however. Despite Fingal finishing on the attack, the Blues rearguard stood firm, and a series of wonderful cameos from Devine kept the home side to the single goal. On 84 minutes he somehow turned to keep Zayed’s superb diving header from crossing the line, and a minute later pulled off a double save to deny McFaul from distance and Zayed on the follow-up. That was that for this match, but with UCD failing to take the win at Jackman Park, it means the Blues are top of the table for the first time this season!

Fingal: Darren Quigley; Colm James (Kevin Boyd 78), Brian Gannon, Gareth Whelan, John Frost; Conan Byrne (Lorcan Fitzgerald 72), Shaun Williams, Alan Kirby, Shane McFaul, Ross Gaynor; Eamon Zayed - subs: James Hussey, Fiachra McArdle, Jeremy McConnell-Cook

Goals: Zayed 1

Booked: McFaul, Gannon, Williams

Waterford: Michael Devine; Alan Carey, Kevin Murray, Kenny Browne, Seamus Long; Paul McCarthy (Declan Woodgate 80), Kieran Fitzgerald, John Kearney, Kevin Waters; Graham Cummins (David Grincell 88), Willie John Kiely – subs: Kevin Burns, Gary Dunphy, Joe Mulcahy

Goals: Kiely 15, 77, Cummins 40, Browne 70

Booked: Kiely

Sent Off: Long