Waterford FC 1 Bandon AFC 0
Waterford FC opened the defence of their Munster Senior Cup crown with a deserved win over Bandon AFC at the RSC.
The Blues fielded a mostly under 20 side with only Jason Healy, Calum Costello and Kyle White around the first team last season while Costello, who scored the winning goal for the Blues in last year's decider, Mikey Carroll and Zak O Sullivan were all a part of the winning team last June.
From the outset it was Waterford who dominated proceedings as they moved the ball really well around the park, spreading the West Cork side and forcing a multitude of corners. A great pass from Jess Dempsey found White but the defence held firm.
The opening goal came on seventeen minutes when White lifted a wonderful ball over the defence for Jan Wozniak but the striker was clipped by goalkeeper Kevin O Brien and the penalty was an easy decision for referee John Sconnie Walsh.
It was the industrious Costello who stepped up and fired the ball to the bottom left corner.
Waterford continued to press the visitors but they couldn't find a second - the closest came from Zak O Sullivan who met a Jesse Dempsey cross on 66 minutes but his effort was again blocked by O Brien and Dylan Warren fired the follow up wide of the upright.
Bandon's best chance came on 75 minutes when Nnotum pounced on a defensive error and with the goal at his mercy, he fired wide.
Waterford FC: J Healy, F Pululu (A Sheehan 46'), A Zborowski (M Barrett 84'), S Keane, J Dempsey, M Carroll, J Wozniak, K White (S O Sullivan 46'), A Cass (J Garrett 59') Z O Sullivan, C Costello (D Warren 59')
Bandon AFC: K O Brien, J O Donoghue, M O Driscoll (C Payne 59'), L Holland, A Hunt, D Wilmot (C McKahey 76'), B Cullen, P Nnotum (P Craig 76'), G Rice, D Harrington Harte, A Kelly (L Harrington 59')
Referee: John Sconnie Walsh
Attendance: 841
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