Williams denied in derby stalemate
SPORTING FINGAL.................. 0 BOHEMIANS............................ 0
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A DISALLOWED Shaun Williams goal right at the death denied Sporting Fingal a vital Dublin derby win at Morton Stadium last Friday. Liam Buckley's men would have moved within touching distance of second-placed St Pat's had Williams' effort been allowed to stand, but in the end a point wasn't much use to either side. Shamrock Rovers' win the same night means that Bohs' quest for a three-in-row of titles looks increasingly unlikely, while Sporting's hopes of qualifying for Europe through the league are on a knife-edge.
Both teams were without their usual holding midfielders through injury and their absence was keenly felt. The Gypsies, coming into the game on the back of four successive victories, lacked the fluency provided by Paul Keegan in their engine-room, while Fingal's linchpin Shane McFaul was also sorely missed as his side chased a win which would have boosted their prospects of catching Bohs for third place.
However, despite what was at stake, the first half failed to ingite.
Glen Cronin's header from a Mark Quigley centre on 11 minutes was saved easily by Darren Quigley, while Williams nearly caught out Chris O'Connor with a long-range effort which the ' keeper managed to push round the upright. Mid-way through the half, Mark Quigley should have done better when Killian Brennan sliced the opposition defence apart with a dinked pass into the box, but the Bohs winger went for power rather than placement and pulled his shot across the goalmouth.
Fingal struggled to provide striker Gary O'Neill with ammunition and resorted to long-range shots, Ronan Finn almost scoring from once such attempt on the half-hour mark when the ball sailed narrowly wide.
There were chances at opposite ends in quick succession just before the break. Jason McGuinness climbed highest to connect with a Brennan corner but steered his header over the bar, while O'Neill also nodded over after being teed up by Williams.
The second half began with a duel between the two Quigleys as Bohemians' Mark saw his close-range header stopped by Fingal's Darren.
Belatedly, the north Dublin derby came to life as Paddy Madden flashed a 57th-minute header over after losing his marker, while Finn was just off target with another fine effort.
Bohs found another gear in the last five minutes, with Cronin's curler from 25 yards swerving narrowly wide and Quigley sending an attempted chip just beyond the far post.
Sporting skipper Williams did find the net when he headed home Conan Byrne's corner on 87 minutes, but referee Declan Hanney ruled it out for an apparent push on Jason McGuinness. SPORTING FINGAL: Quigley; Browne, Hawkins, Maher, Frost; Williams, Kirby, Finn; Byrne, O'Neill ( Crowe 80), Cahill ( Zayed 67). BOHEMIANS: O'Connor; Heary, Shelley, McGuinness, Powell; Brennan, Cronin, Higgins ( J. Byrne 68), Quigley; McGlynn; Madden ( Greene 90). REFEREE: Damien Hancock ( Dublin).
