WITH just more six league games remaining – three home and three away – the old cliché of 'every game is now a cup final', comes into play and it was never more apt than last Friday night in Morton Stadium when Sporting Fingal took on and beat mid-table Finn Harps.

Sporting went into the game on the back of a defeat at the hands of Wexford Youths, a result which that brought Waterford United – who due to their weekend involvement in the EA Sports Cup Final, now have two games in hand on Sporting – back into the fold of serious contenders for the promotion and play-off spots. An unwanted situation for Fingal as they look to close the gap on Shelbourne and UCD respectively.

Friday night's game saw Fingal add to their impressive goal difference, netting four times and only conceding once. Finn Harps' only goal came in the 52nd minute when Christy Conaghan managed to head home from just outside the area after nodding on a kick-out from Harps 'keeper Ciaran Gallagher, his header somehow drifting over the out-rushing Quigley in the Fingal goal and slowly making its way into the net despite a last-gasp attempt to clear from Brian Gannon.

That goal put the game at a score of two to one in favour of the home side, Fingal's opening two goals coming from Shaun Williams and Conan Byrne.

Williams smashed home from a Conan Byrne corner, while provider turned scorer three minutes later, with Byrne getting his 21st for the season. He chipped over Gallagher from outside the area after picking the ball up on the right wing, having received a lovely outside-of-the-boot crossfield ball from Alan Kirby.

While the home side conceded in the 7th minute of the second half the game was an odd mixture of phases of constant Fingal pressure, followed by laconic moments in which the home side looked unmotivated, allowing Harps to threaten to grab an equaliser they didn't deserve.

A late second-half brace from Gary O'Neill put the result beyond any doubt, netting his first after being put through on goal by Robert Bayly, having found himself completely unmarked on the edge of the area. O'Neill bagged his second and Fingal's fourth with ten minutes to play, sending home from a Conan Byrne cross.

While the performance was uninspired at times, the result yielded three vital points and four more goals, a welcome outcome given the way the week started. Fingal now travel to Monaghan this Friday before welcoming Shelbourne to Santry on October 9th, in what could be a season-defining game. WITH just more six league games remaining – three home and three away – the old cliché of 'every game is now a cup final', comes into play and it was never more apt than last Friday night in Morton Stadium when Sporting Fingal took on and beat mid-table Finn Harps.

Sporting went into the game on the back of a defeat at the hands of Wexford Youths, a result which that brought Waterford United – who due to their weekend involvement in the EA Sports Cup Final, now have two games in hand on Sporting – back into the fold of serious contenders for the promotion and play-off spots. An unwanted situation for Fingal as they look to close the gap on Shelbourne and UCD respectively.

Friday night's game saw Fingal add to their impressive goal difference, netting four times and only conceding once. Finn Harps' only goal came in the 52nd minute when Christy Conaghan managed to head home from just outside the area after nodding on a kick-out from Harps 'keeper Ciaran Gallagher, his header somehow drifting over the out-rushing Quigley in the Fingal goal and slowly making its way into the net despite a last-gasp attempt to clear from Brian Gannon.

That goal put the game at a score of two to one in favour of the home side, Fingal's opening two goals coming from Shaun Williams and Conan Byrne.

Williams smashed home from a Conan Byrne corner, while provider turned scorer three minutes later, with Byrne getting his 21st for the season. He chipped over Gallagher from outside the area after picking the ball up on the right wing, having received a lovely outside-of-the-boot crossfield ball from Alan Kirby.

While the home side conceded in the 7th minute of the second half the game was an odd mixture of phases of constant Fingal pressure, followed by laconic moments in which the home side looked unmotivated, allowing Harps to threaten to grab an equaliser they didn't deserve.

A late second-half brace from Gary O'Neill put the result beyond any doubt, netting his first after being put through on goal by Robert Bayly, having found himself completely unmarked on the edge of the area. O'Neill bagged his second and Fingal's fourth with ten minutes to play, sending home from a Conan Byrne cross.

While the performance was uninspired at times, the result yielded three vital points and four more goals, a welcome outcome given the way the week started. Fingal now travel to Monaghan this Friday before welcoming Shelbourne to Santry on October 9th, in what could be a season-defining game.

- Kevin BRANNIGAN