Sport

Quigley keeps Bohemians at bay

Sporting Fingal 0 Bohemians 0: TWO TERRIFIC second half saves from Darren Quigley earned Sporting Fingal a point as they ended…

Sat Sept 04 2010 - 01:00

Sporting Fingal 0 Bohemians 0:TWO TERRIFIC second half saves from Darren Quigley earned Sporting Fingal a point as they ended Bohemians' winning run.

The former Ireland B international showed his agility in the air before displaying his awareness and speed off the mark on the ground to ensure the game finished in stalemate.

It was a result scarcely helpful to either side in relation to their title ambitions. For Bohemians, hopes of a third title in a row fade further as Shamrock Rovers stretched their lead at the top to seven points. Sporting remain in fourth place, 12 points off the lead.

Though Bohemians started the better, a goalkeeping gaffe almost gifted Sporting the lead on 20 minutes. Sporting skipper Shaun Williams drilled in a shot from 25 yards which Bohemians Chris O’Connor fumbled through his hands but the ball went just past the upright.

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From that let-off at one end, Bohemians ought to have been ahead at the other three minutes later.A cleverly dinked pass from Killian Brennan put Mark Quigley in on goal, but he sliced badly off target when he really should have scored.

Sporting had to work hard to get into the game. Conan Byrne teed up Ronan Finn on the half hour. The low drive was well past O’Connor’s right-hand post.

But Bohemians remained the better side into the second half with Paddy Madden bringing the stop of the night from Quigley on 57 minutes.

The 20-year-old striker peeled away from Shaun Maher to meet Brennan’s cross. Quigley produced the acrobatics to tip the ball over the top. Glenn Cronin then threaded Quigley in on goal on 80 minutes, but keeper Quigley raced from his line to save bravely at the striker’s feet.

Quigley had another chance minutes from time but curled his shot wide of the far post.

SPORTING FINGAL: Quigley; Browne, Maher, Hawkins, Frost; Finn, Williams, Kirby; Byrne, O’Neill (Crowe, 81 mins.), Cahill (Zayed, 67 mins.).

BOHEMIANS: O’Connor; Heary, Shelley, McGuinness, Powell; Quigley, Cronin, Higgins (Byrne, 69 mins.), Brennan; McGlynn; Madden (Greene, 90 mins).

Referee: Declan Hanney (Dublin).