Sporting Fingal continued their impressive start to life in the eircom League with their first away win against Kildare County.
Liam Buckley’s men were full value for the win against a disappointing County side - but for the woodwork, the win would have been even more convincing.
Former County winger Fiachra McArdle had already clipped the home crossbar when Sporting took the lead after 23 minutes.
Conan Byrne tricked his way past two Kildare defenders only to see his shot saved by Charlie Treacy, he was first to react to the rebound but could only head off the crossbar before finally turning the ball into the net at the third time of asking.
Byrne and Peter Hynes were causing the Kildare defence all sorts of problems and Hynes was just off target with a volley soon after Byrne’s opener.
Kildare saw little of the ball in the attacking third during the first half and the closest they came to a goal was a minute before half time when Philip Gorman shot wide from Ciaran Kilduff’s cross.
John Ryan’s team improved in the second half and kept the ball better but still never looked like threatening Steve Williams in the Sporting goal while the visitors looked like scoring every time they entered the Kildare half.
Derek Tyrell was unlucky not to increase their lead when he headed Paul Caffrey’s free kick off the foot of the post but Sporting deservedly got a second after 67 minutes.
Kildare had pushed men forward leaving gaps at the back which Hynes exploited with an excellent run. He slipped the ball through to Dinny Corcoran who cut back inside Paul Donnelly before firing low past Treacy.
It took the home side until the 78th minute for them to really test Williams when Fortune shot from the edge of the box but it was Sporting who finished the game the stronger and they could have added a third late on when Caffrey smashed a shot off the frame of the goal.
Kildare County: Treacy; Clarke, Clancy, Donnelly, Brophy; Brady (Robinson 75), Fortune, Slattery, Harte (Roche 75); Gorman, Kilduff (Broderick 86).
Sporting Fingal: Williams; Tyrell, Kelly, Rogers, Collins; McArdle (O’Neill 56), James, Caffrey, C Byrne; Hynes, Corcoran (Bracken 90).
Referee: E. McNally (Cork).
