Coughlan at the double as Blues see off Bray

Waterford FC head into the mid-season break with confidence after another winning performance at the RSC last night as they beat Bray Wanderers by 3 goals to 1 to maintain the 10-point deficit behind Galway United.

Blues boss Keith Long continues to have Wassim Aouachria and Harvey Warren on the treatment table but Dean McMenamy returned to the lineup after injury in one of two changes to the side that hit Kerry for six on Monday afternoon. Niall O Keeffe also returned in place of Tunmise Sobowale at right back with Chris Conn Clarke dropping to the bench for McMenamy.

Waterford started the game with a blistering pace and opened the scoring inside a minute when Dean McMenamey picked up the ball at the top of the area and blasted past Stephen McGuinness in the Bray goal for the perfect start.

McMenamy should have doubled the lead on 14 minutes when he was put through by Ronan Coughlan but somehow missed the target.

McMenamy was then forced off through injury after a clash with Dave Webster on 20 minutes with Thomas Oluwa coming in.

However, the Blues were pegged back on 38 minutes when Max Murphy delivered a perfect cross for Ben Feeney and he looped his header over Paul Martin.

The second half was just 32 seconds old when Waterford were back in front. Conor Parsons found space down the right and he crossed low for Coughlan to touch home.

Coughlan made it 3-1 with his 25th goal of the season on 66 minutes after he latched onto a wonderful through ball from Roland Idowu and he was denied his second hat trick of the week by McGuinness and the crossbar 4 minutes from time when he met an Oluwa cross but it was not to be as the Blues secured all three points.