Three second-half goals proved enough to secure passage to the FAI Cup quarter-finals for Waterford FC.
John Martin opened the scoring for Marc Bircham's team in the first half, but a halftime break with a 1-ni lead didn't excite the boss, who expressed the desire to come out swinging from the off, saying the team bored him in the opening 45.
I went around individually and told them what they weren't doing well enough, and you got 10 minutes to do it or there'll be subs. Go to our game plan like we've done before the game, do it and you'll win comfortably. We went out in the second half and done it.
So yeah, quite happy with that. But we've got to start, even in league games recently we've not really done it in the first off, we've become a really good second-half team, which has nothing to do with my tactical genius.
With the exception of their recent 1-nil win over Bohemians, the Blues have indeed been winning games in the second half. 4-1 against Longford, with three coming in the second half, and 2-1 against Drogheda, with both goals coming after the break. A trend has formed that the boss wants to see stopped.
We need to start hitting the ground running because if we do start off slow in the first half, you could be two-nil down and it's a mountain to climb. We can do it, and look what he's missing probably four or five players last night so can't complain 4-1; John Martin again got another two goals.
I think that takes him up to 10 goals. He's got a knack of scoring tap ins which is excellent because you can get 10 to 12 of them a year. Yeah, and is becoming a vital player for us. Phoenix Patterson was very good, Cameron Evans, who's a centre back by trade but played in midfield. So there's a lot of good things it was just I wanted to start that way.
Putting the Cup competition behind them for the moment, focus now returns to the league and a major game on the horizon with Dundalk. The Blues and the Lilywhityes are separated by a single point in the table, with Waterford just outside the drop zone.
A win for Jim Magilton's side would see them climb over Waterford to safety, while a win for the Blues could give them the space they need to breathe for a week or two.
With games between now and the end of the season becoming fewer by the week, Bircham knows that every point truly does count if they are to avoid a relegation play-off and the risk of playing in the First Division next year.
Especially because they've dropped and then you look at Finn harps - they've won, I think three out of three as well. So yeah, there's gonna be lots of ups and downs. We're probably going to lose games we shouldn't, and we're going to win games we shouldn't.
That's just like any league in the run in because, I think, Sir. Alex version called it squeaky bum time, it does come to that stage of the season. I know it's a cliche, and I say it's just free points; but really if you're above the team, it's a no lose game, you don't want to lose it. That's the main thing. It's hard for us because we don't really do draws I think we've had one this season.
One gripe that is still at the forefront for the London native is the officiating in the league, not necessarily on the field, but the ability to challenge a decision that he deems to be incorrect. The appeals process has not been kind to Waterford, or any team when they want to challenge a red card decision handed down by a referee.
In recent weeks, Bircham spoke to WLR Sport's Matt Keane after a game and expressed his frustration at the process to get a red card overturned when an incorrect decision had been made.
When I was in America that I thought the officiating was at worse standard than it is here. It's not so much that it was. I was moaning about consistency. I was targeting at really the cup game we had there with Athlone that was just crazy. But I'm more annoyed with the appeals process and just justice because there ain't no appeals process.
I don't think there's been a red card overturned in seven or eight years. Now, that's impossible. That's what you're saying - the refs haven't got any of them wrong. Which is just impossible. So it's where you get frustrated, because realistically, the unwritten rule is if you get a red card, and even if it's completely wrong, you have to serve a one match ban.
That's when it gets frustrating because you don't mind mistakes, but then you can't rectify it and get justice for it, and you have to pay 500 euros to make an appeal; which you've got 0.00005% chance of overturning
