WATERFORD FC 1
KERRY 0
Waterford FC have moved into second spot in the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division as a lone headed goal from Ronan Coughlan for his fifth goal in four games gave the Blues a hard fought win over a battling Kerry side at the RSC.
For an unchanged Waterford team that beat Cobh for this first-ever meeting with the Kingdom in the First Division, it was a frustrating night as the visitors made life difficult with a defensive display that needed a 70th-minute goal from Coughlan to unlock a crucial Blues win.
With the club paying tribute to the late rallying star Craig Breen with a minutes applause, the strong home crowd were left frustrated by a visiting side that were happy to put ten men behind the ball in a bid to get a result against a Blues side pushing for promotion.
Waterford had a chance to go in front on nine minutes when match-winner Coughlan won a corner out on the left that saw Griffin put in a brilliant ball to the back post for Giles Phillips, but his cracking header was superbly kept out by the visiting netminder.
The Kerry netminder came to his sides rescue on 19 minutes when Dean McMenamy sent in a right-wing corner that found the head of Shane Griffin, but his header was tipped over the crossbar before Coughlan was denied the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time by another Guthrie save.
Kerry had their first chance of note on 50 minutes when Leo Gaxha tried his luck from distance, but he failed to trouble keeper Paul Martin, before the Blues made a double change soon afterwards with Chris Conn-Clarke, who entered the fray, firing over the bar with his first glimpse at goal on the hour mark.
It was Guthrie that denied Coughlan again on 68 minutes before the centre forward grabbed the only goal two minutes later when he powered a header to the net after a Barry Baggley delivery from the right. Wassim Aouachria had a late chance to settle the Waterford nerves on 88 minutes when he got on the end of Barry Baggley’s left-wing cross at the near post, but his headed flashed wide as a nervy Blues held out for a slender win.
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