Matt Keane
A brace each from Cian Kavanagh and John Martin helped Waterford FC move ahead of Dundalk into eighth spot in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division after they overcame the challenge of bottom side Longford Town with a rampant second half performance at a rain soaked RSC.
Shane Griffin sent in a dangerous free kick on 22 minutes to the back post, but Longford defender Mick McDonnell took the ball off the toe of John Martin at the back post, before the home fans rose to their feet a minute later to pay tribute to former player Roy Butler, who died on Tuesday last.
It was Martin that nearly gave his side the lead three minutes later when the attacker got on the end of a brilliant Jack Stafford left-wing cross, but his effort from close-range just cleared the crossbar of Longford keeper Lee Stacey.
Waterford took the lead with a super move on 36 minutes when Shane Griffin played a magnificent ball out to the left for Stafford, who put in a brilliant first-time cross that was flicked home by Cian Kavanagh that gave keeper Stacey no chance.
Martin and Griffin combined to set up Kavanagh for another chance on the stroke of the half time whistle, but the striker headed the ball straight into the hands of the visiting netminder as the conditions made life extremely difficult for both sides.
Longford were level just two minutes into the second half when substitute Aodh Dervin slipped the ball into the path of Paddy Kirk, who fed the ball to Dean Williams, and he beat Brian Murphy with a left-footed finish from six yards.
The home side were back in front on 52 minutes when Cian Kavanagh was bundled over in the area in a challenge with Aaron O’Driscoll that saw referee David Dunne point to the spot, but after keeper Lee Stacey saved Kavanagh’s spot kick, John Martin was on hand to hammer home the close-range rebound.
Just about ?
Cian Kavanagh's penalty is saved by Lee Steacy but John Martin pounces on the rebound to give Waterford the lead again ?
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Martin could have grabbed his second of the game two minutes later when he got his head on the end of a Kavanagh left-wing delivery, but he couldn’t hit the target, before Rob Manley cracked in a shot at the other end on 62 minutes only for Brian Murphy to save.
Prince Mutswunguma had a chance for the Blues less than two minutes later when he took a pass from Martin on the top of the penalty area, but his right-footed shot just flashed wide of Stacey's right-hand post.
Things got better for the hosts on 71 minutes when John Martin’s long ball out of defence after the visitors had penalty appeals waved away was deflected off a head of Longford player that sent Cian Kavanagh into the clear, and he held his composure to slot past keeper Stacey to put his side in the driving seat.
The hosts grabbed a brilliant fourth goal six minutes from the end when Prince Mutswunguma set up Isaac Tshipamba down the left-side before he put the ball back into the danger zone where John Martin hammered home his seventh goal of the season.
Waterford FC: Brian Murphy; Darragh Power, Cameron Evans, Eddie Nolan (George Forrest ’86), Kyle Ferguson, Jack Stafford; Shane Griffin (Prince Mutswunguma ’58), Niall O’Keeffe, John Martin (Jamal Dupree ’86), Phoenix Patterson; Cian Kavanagh (Isaac Tshipamba ’81)
Longford Town: Lee Stacey; Paddy Kirk, Aaron McNally (Karl Chambers ’46), Aaron O’Driscoll, Mick McDonnell; Dylan Grimes, Darragh Nugent, Matthew O’Brien (Conor Davies ‘54, Dean Zambra (Aodh Dervin ’46); Rob Manley, Dean Williams
Referee: David Dunne (Dublin).
