The Blues nearly struck for the opening goal on six minutes when Shane Duggan whipped in a brilliant left-wing corner kick that picked out the run of Maxi Kouogun, but his towering header struck the top of the crossbar with keeper Mark McGinley beaten.
Duggan went close to breaking the deadlock on 15 minutes when an excellent Waterford move saw JJ Lunney control the ball out on the left before setting up Michael O’Connor, who touched the ball onto the midfielder, but his right-footed strike from 20 yards whistled inches wide of the left-hand post.
Finn Harps had a good chance of their own just past the half hour mark when Harry Ascroft did well down the right-side before putting the ball on the head of the inrushing Sam Todd, but his header just cleared Matt Connor’s crossbar.
Daniel O’Reilly should have put the visitors in front on the stroke of the half time whistle when he took advantage of a Michael O’Connor slip after Raffaele Cretaro left-wing corner kick, but his point-blank shot was superbly kept out by the brilliance of Matt Connor.
Mark McGinley was called into action to make a smart save to deny the home side going in front three minutes after the restart when Cory Galvin pulled the ball back to the edge of the area for Shane Duggan, but his left-footed shot was kept out by the visiting netminder.
It was Galvin that nearly scored stunning breakthrough goal for the Blues with the next chance on 53 minutes when he took a pass from Rob Slevin out on the left before turning onto his favoured right-foot, but his shot flashed inches wide of McGinley’s far post.
Raffaele Cretaro went close to putting Harps in front sixty seconds later when he took control of a pass from Gareth Harkin before letting fly with a cracking strike from 25 yards, but the ball fizzed inches wide of Matt Connor’s left-hand upright.
The visitors had another great chance to get their noses in front on 59 minutes when Daniel O’Reilly peeled to the back post to get on the end of a Mark Russell after a foul on Cretaro, but the full back saw his header just go the wrong side of the target.
Dean Walsh was on the pitch only a matter of seconds after replacing Dean O’Halloran when he went close to putting Waterford in front on 62 minutes when he got on the end of Georgie Poynton’s right-wing corner kick, but his first touch was to head the ball inches over the bar.
Blues keeper Matt Connor was forced into a fine save on 72 minutes when he kept out a strike from Mikey Place before Dean Walsh linked up well with Shane Duggan at the other end two minutes later, but his effort from 20 yards went over the bar.
Finn Harps did open the scoring from the penalty spot ten minutes from time when Mikey Place was hauled to ground by Georgie Poynton on the left-side of the area and after dusting himself down, Place sent Matt Connor the wrong way from 12 yards.
Waterford thought that they had equalised with 86 minutes on the clock when Poynton sent over a corner kick from the left that picked out Karolis Chvedukas at the back post, who headed the ball across goal for Kenny Browne, but his header that looked destine for the net was superbly tipped over by Mark McGinley.
WATERFORD FC: Matt Connor, Georgie Poynton, Kenny Browne, Maxi Kouogun, Rob Slevin, Shane Duggan (Karolis Chvedukas `83), JJ Lunney, Tom Holland, Dean O’Halloran (Dean Walsh `62), Michael O’Connor, Cory Galvin (Will Fitzgerald `75)
FINN HARPS: Mark McGinley, Daniel O’Reilly, Jacob Borg, Keith Cowan, Gareth Harkin, Raffaele Cretaro, Mark Russell, Mark Timlin (Caolan McAleer `66), Mikey Place (Tony McNamee `90), Sam Todd, Harry Ascroft (Niall Logue `89)
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick)
