Sporting Fingal found the perfect blend of physicality and discipline to prevail 2-0 over Monaghan United at rainsoaked Kingspan Century Park, Peter Hynes exemplifying the spirit of
Liam Buckley’s men with well-taken goals in each half.
Fingal’s directness was better suited to the prevailing conditions than United’s attempts to string passing movements together.
Apparently equipped with shoot-on-sight instructions, Fingal peppered Danny Woods’s goal with shots in the opening 20 minutes, Paul Caffrey and Conan Byrne coming close and Fiachra McArdle forcing the Monaghan goalkeeper into an alert save.
The visitors took a deserved lead in the 27th minute, although Hynes enjoyed some good fortune when Colm James’s deflected shot fell perfectly into his path six yards from goal.
The big striker made no mistake.
The concession provoked a spirited Monaghan response, and they were almost immediately close to level terms when Brian Gartland met Eoin Lanigan’s corner with an emphatic header that just missed the top corner.
United finished the half the stronger, but had the stuffing knocked but of them two minutes after the restart.
They allowed Hynes to collect from Robbie Doyle 25 yards from goal and he embarked on a powerhouse run which ended with a low drive into the bottom corner.
On the hour Fingal found the United net once more, Robbie Doyle rising to head Derek Tyrrell’s excellent cross beyond Woods.
Referee Conor Fitzgerald, however, ruled that Doyle had fouled his marker Conor McMahon and the goal was cancelled out.
Well-marshalled at the back by Barry Ferguson, Fingal saw the game out with some comfort, their only late scare being when overlapping Monaghan full-back Paul Whelan stole unmarked into
the box but directed his header from Barry Clancy’s cross over the crossbar.
Monaghan United: Woods; McMahon, Mooney, Gartland; Whelan, Tierney (O’Connor 67), Brennan, McCrossan, Williamson (Clancy 72); Lanigan (Hanaphy 63), Haran.
Sporting Fingal: Clarke; Tyrrell, Philip Byrne, Ferguson, Gannon; C Byrne, James, McArdle (Morrisroe 62), Doyle (Corcoran 74); Hynes (Paul Byrne 88), Caffrey.
Referee: Conor Fitzgerald (Meath)
