Sporting Fingal saw off Bray Wanderers in their first ever Ford Cup
semi-final to secure a date with Sligo Rovers in the final on 22 November at Tallaght Stadium.
<notforsyndication>Watch the match here. </notforsyndication>
Fingal got off to the perfect start when Eamon Zayed volleyed home Alan Kirby’s inch perfect cross from the left to get the home support in good voice with just four minutes gone.
The hosts continued to pressurise and Kirby, who was the hero of the quarter-final win over Shamrock Rovers, was causing serious problems for the Wanderers back four.
Kirby was involved in the second goal on 11 minutes, getting taken out on the edge of the penalty area.
Conan Byrne forced a superb save out of goalkeeper Chris O’Connor from the resulting free-kick, but Bray failed to clear and Zayed stabbed home at the second attempt for another goal against his former club.
Byrne then looked to make it three when he broke through the Bray defence only to be foiled by a superb save from O’Connor.
But Zayed then turned provider on 21 minutes when he set up Kirby with a cross for the midfielder to slip home the third.
It could have been even more emphatic by the break as Byrne smashed a shot off the crossbar.
Bray boss Eddie Gormley rang the changes during the break hoping to salvage the tie. On came Gary McCabe and Gareth Coughlan to replace veteran Colm Tresson and Stephen Brennan.
The Seagulls got more of a foothold as Fingal eased off but Kirby was still causing problems down the left and his injury, which forced him off on the hour, seemed to galvanise the Bray men.
Paul Byrne’s shot was denied by Fingal shot-stopper Chris Konopka but with 16 minutes left, substitute McCabe struck a superb 30-yard free-kick to make it 3-1.
This goal gave Bray a renewed confidence as they looked to rescue the game in the final quarter.
Bray’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Chris Deans was shown a straight red card by referee Alan Kelly for a high challenge on Eric Foley with just ten minutes left on the clock.
Man of the Match Robert Bayly added to Bray’s woes with seven minutes left when he lobbed O’Connor to make it 4-1 and all but secure their place in the decider.
With seconds remaining, substitute John Mulroy beat the Konopka to the ball and rolled the ball into an empty net to give Bray some solace as they left Morton Stadium staring at relegation.
Sporting Fingal: Chris Konopka, Colm James, John Frost, Shaun Williams (Robbie Doyle 75 ), Shaun Maher, Stephen Paisley (Gareth Whelan 50), Conan Byrne, Robert Bayly, Eamon Zayed, Alan Kirby (Eric Foley 63), Shane McFaul.
Bray Wanderers: Chris O’Connor, Colm Tresson (Gareth Coughlan h/t), Daire Doyle, Derek Foran, Chris Deans, Stephen Brennan (Gary McCabe h/t), Dane Massey, Dave Mulcahy, Paul Byrne, Chris Shields, Jake Kelly (John Mulroy h/t).
Referee: Alan Kelly.
