By Matt Keane
Waterford FC will be playing in the top grade of the League of Ireland once again next season following this 2-0 victory against St Patrick's Athletic in Richmond Park on Friday night. Back in May the Blues defeated the Saints 3-0 at the same venue.
The Blues nearly got off to the most amazing start inside the opening 25 seconds when Walter Figueira picked up the ball out of the left side of the penalty area and after superbly getting past two challenges, his cracking right-footed shot from 16 yards whistled inches over Barry Murphy’s crossbar.
Zack Elbouzedi forced Murphy into an excellent save on four minutes when the Republic of Ireland Under 21 International got on the end of a Kevin Lynch left-wing cross at the back post, but his well-struck left-footed shot was turned around the posts.
Waterford were awarded a penalty by Latvian referee Edgar Malcevs from the resulting corner kick when Shane Duggan’s right-wing delivery saw Michael O’Connor fail to connect properly with the ball and after Rob Slevin was brought down from behind by defender Ciaran Kelly, the official without hesitation pointed to the spot.
With Duggan missing the last couple of penalties for Alan Reynolds’ men including the cup defeat to Dundalk, it was O’Connor that assumed responsibility from 12 yards, and he sent Barry Murphy, who was replacing the injured Brendan Clarke, the wrong way to give his side the ideal start.
It was all Waterford with O’Connor having a goalbound effort blocked by a defender minutes later before Lee Desmond came to his sides rescue on nine minutes when he somehow managed to clear a Kevin Lynch effort off the line after he took a pass from JJ Lunney.
After a lull in the game for long periods of that half before Barry Murphy kept the home side in the game when he made a cracking save as the half-entered injury time. Tom Holland was the man that spotted the run of JJ Lunney and he fired in a shot from 25 yards that looked destined for the net, but the netminder made a top save.
Jake Walker, who replaced Mikey Drennan at the half time break, had the first chance of the second half on 54 minutes when Conor Clifford intercepted Tom Holland before setting up the attacker, but Matt Connor saved before Michael O’Connor had a half-chance at the other end only to shoot straight at Murphy.\
Waterford carved out a great passage of play that nearly extended the lead on 66 minutes when Lunney fed the ball to Shane Duggan, who spotted the run of Sam Bone out on the right and after bringing the ball onto his left-foot, his strike was inches wide of the near post.
Walter Figueira should have taken full advantage of a mistake in the Pat’s defence two minutes later when the centre forward took possession of a loose ball just outside the penalty area, but his attempted chip of the advancing just cleared the crossbar.
The Blues should have put the game to bed with a second goal on 77 minutes when Michael O’Connor played a pass from inside his own half to release Zack Elbouzedi out on the right before continuing his run and after the latter laid the ball onto a plate for the attacker, he blazed wide of an open goal.
O’Connor made amends for that miss when he doubled the lead with a brilliant header four minutes later. Kevin Lynch’s quick thinking from a free-kick set up Shane Duggan, who had the vision to spot Sam Bone out on the right and his teasing cross found the head of the frontman who powered the ball past Barry Murphy.
Matt Connor made sure of two clean sheets at Richmond Park this season when he produced a quite stunning save in second-half injury time when diving full length to tip a cracking effort from Ronan Hale as the Blues fans celebrated another super win on the road.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Barry Murphy, Dean Clarke, Ciaran Kelly, Lee Desmond, Ian Bermingham, Jamie Lennon (Ronan Hale `72), Conor Clifford, Cian Coleman (Glen McAuley `46), Chris Forrester, Darragh Markey, Mikey Drennan (Jake Walker `46).
WATERFORD FC: Matt Connor, Sam Bone, Maxi Kouogun, Rob Slevin, Kevin Lynch, Tom Holland, Shane Duggan, JJ Lunney, Zack Elbouzedi, Michael O’Connor (Dean Walsh `90), Walter Figueira (Dean O’Halloran `89).
Referee: Edgar Malcevs (Latvia).
