'Keeper blunder earns draw for Sporting

Sporting Fingal 3 Shamrock Rovers 3

A late blunder by keeper Alan Mannus deprived Shamrock Rovers of going top of the table in this six-goal thriller at Morton Stadium.

Goals from Gary Twigg and Stephen Rice appeared to have turned the game on its head to put Rovers 3-2 up.

But Sporting midfielder Ronan Finn let fly from 25-yard on 87 minutes with Mannus fumbling the ball into his own net.

The wet surface made for a terrific game from the off with Sporting good value for their 11th minute lead when Conan Byrne whipped over a deep cross from the left which saw Eamon Zayed stoop to head home his seventh goal of the season.

Rovers levelled on 34 minutes when defender Craig Sives volleyed home superbly from James Chambers’ corner, his first goal for the Hoops.

But Sporting remained the better side and restored their lead on 51 minutes. Mannus spilled Finn‘s shot and Gary O’Neill followed up to dink home the rebound.

But it began to go wrong for Sporting on 76 minute when Byrne’s back pass fell short and Twigg raced through to level.

Rice then latched onto a rebound to fire Rovers in front on 80 minutes.

Finn levelled with defender Kenny Browne then wasting a glorious chance to win it for Sporting in stoppage time when blazing over the bar.