Waterford FC 1 Dundalk 1
Two teams battling to get away from the relegation play-off positions played out an exciting game at the RSC on Friday night in front of 1,361 supporters.
It was a cruel start for the Blues as they were shocked by an early Dundalk goal on five minutes. Will Patching’s quick free kick from inside his own half picked out the run of Daniel Kelly out on the right, and after Kyle Ferguson deflected the cross into the path of Sean Murray, he beat Brian Murphy from close-range.
Cameron Evans fired in a shot more than expected a minute later when the on-loan player from Swansea City, cracked in a shot from just outside the penalty area, but the Dundalk keeper Alessio Abibi made a comfortable save.
Blues keeper Murphy was called into action to make a smart save to deny the visitors a second goal on 21 minutes when Sam Stanton latched onto a ball 25-yards from goal, but experienced netminder got down well to save his well-struck right-footed shot.
It was Patching that went close to extending the Dundalk lead six minutes later when he got on the end of a Stanton left-wing cross before bringing the ball onto his right-foot, but his well-executed effort from 16 yards just cleared Murphy’s crossbar.
Blues boss Marc Bircham was forced into a change with 36 minutes on the clock when defender Jack Stafford was forced off with a facial injury that saw Jeremie Milambo enter the fray, and within minutes of introduction, he got clear down the left, but his cross was too close to keeper Abibi.
There was a half chance for the Blues deep into first half injury time when Shane Griffin sent a free kick in from the right after a foul on Cian Kavanagh, and after the ball fell to Eddie Nolan, his delivery back into the danger area, just cleared the head of attacker John Martin.
Referee John McLoughlin was in the centre of the action on 48 minutes when he judged that Daniel Cleary’s late tackle on Phoenix Patterson to be only a yellow card when he could have opted for the other colour with Niall O’Keeffe and Patrick Hoban also cautioned as tempers frayed.
It was Patterson that went agonisingly close to levelling the tie for Bircham’s side six minutes later when Milambo whipped in a cross from the left that saw Kyle Ferguson knock the ball down for the winger on the top of the penalty area, but his first-time shot flashed just wide of the near post.
Sean Murray was denied his second goal of the game by a stunning Brian Murphy save on the hour mark when he found space for himself out on the right before cracking in a raspier on the run that was turned over the Blues netminder.
Murphy was called into action to make another great save four minutes later when he kept out an effort from Sam- Ben-Amar before the RSC rocked when the hosts levelled the tie on 77 minutes. Shane Griffin’s brilliant delivery from the right into the crowded area found the head of Anthony Wordsworth, who flicked a header past Dundalk keeper Alessio Alibi.
Although the hosts piled on the pressure in injury time forcing a number of corner kicks in a bid to snatch the victory from the contest, they couldn’t find that goal that would have given all three points from a second-half performance that showed super character.
Waterford FC: Murphy, Power, Nolan, Ferguson, Stafford (Milambo ‘36), O’Keeffe (Halford ’73), Griffin, Evans (Wordsworth ’46), Martin, Patterson, Kavanagh (Quitirna ’62). Dundalk FC: Abibi, Dummigan, Cleary, Boyle, Stanton, Sloggett, Patching, Kelly (Hanratty ’90), Murray (Animasahun ’84), Ben-Amar (Jeongwoo ’80), Hoban.
Referee: John McLoughlin (Westmeath).
