Shamrock Rovers 1 Waterford FC 0

Despite a battling performance, Waterford FC came away with nothing against Shamrock Rovers after a late Rory Gaffney goal was the difference between the sides at Tallaght stadium.

John Coleman had to plan without the influential Conan Noonan who is loan tied but welcomed Andy Boyle back for his first start and Rowan McDonald recovered from the knock that forced him off on Monday evening to take his place in the starting eleven.

It was the visitors who nearly had the perfect start within five minutes when Graham Burke crossed for Daniel Cleary but his effort came back off the upright and was scrambled away.

Waterford then tested Rovers when a great move started by Ryan Burke ended with Jesse Dempsey who found James Olayinka but he shot straight at Ed McGinty on sixteen minutes and then on the half hour, McGinty was again tested when Tommy Lonergan broke into the area but he fired straight at the keeper while Rowan McDonald came close with a shot that was parried by McGinty into the path of Lonergan but he couldn’t get his foot around the ball.

Stephen Bradley had to rely on his bench to break down the stern Waterford defence with the introduction of Rory Gaffney and Jack Byrne and it was Gaffney who broke Blues’ hearts fifteen minutes from time when he reacted quickest to a Danny Mandriou shot that McMullan could only parry and he touched the ball into the empty net for the winner.

Shamrock Rovers: E McGinty, J Honohan, R Lopes, L Grace, D Cleary, D Watts (R Gaffney 64′), G Burke (J Byrne 64′), D Mandriou (D Nugent 88′), M Healy, D Grant (M Kovalevskis 76′), M Noonan (G O Neill 88′)

Waterford FC: S McMullan, A Boyle, G Horton, R Burke (T Coyle 80′), D Leahy, R McDonald (D McMenamy 68′), J Dempsey (K Whyte 71′) , S Glenfield, T Lonergan, P Amond, J Olayinka

Referee: Paul Norton