SOCCER:IT SAYS something about the way Sporting Fingal's chances of lifting the FAI Cup were viewed a few months ago that the family of the man who scored their winner missed the game because they were on a flight to America.

Word of Gary O’Neill’s injury-time winner at a windswept and wet Tallaght Stadium was already getting around by the time he spoke to journalists after the game. But his extended family had yet to learn that they had something to celebrate on their first night out in Manhattan.

“The texts have been coming,” said the beaming 27-year-old, “but I’m not sure they’ve even landed yet. I swear to God, though, they will have some jolly-up for the whole week, like myself.”

His parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and friends booked the trip well before Sporting qualified for the final, and you sensed the player might have signed up for it had it not been for the recent arrival of his son, Cian.

As it turned out, he reckoned it had been worth hanging about.

“To score the winner in a cup final . . .” he marvelled. “It’s the stuff you dream about as a kid.”

O’Neill would not, of course, have anticipated his dream might come true with Sporting Fingal, for the club was only founded with council support two years ago to cater to a rapidly expanding community in north county Dublin.

Their plans for a council home of their own have been hit by the Government’s restrictions on capital spending, but yesterday they enjoyed their second big success at somebody else’s.

A little over 8,000, most of them having travelled a good deal farther than across the city, braved the terrible weather to see the recently promoted team beat Sligo Rovers in a highly entertaining game.

Sporting are in the early stages of building a fan base, but everything else at the club continues to happen ahead of schedule. They were supposed to start life in the A Championship last year, but ended up in the First Division. They expected to stay there at least three years, but have just gone up to the top flight. As for winning a cup and qualifying for Europe? They hadn’t even got around to dreaming about that.

O’Neill’s goal, though, along with Colm James’ penalty a few minutes earlier, has made it all a quite startling reality.