Waterford FC manager Graham Coughlan believes his side have given themselves a chance to complete a remarkable turnaround as they prepare for a crucial Premier Division encounter with Drogheda United at the RSC tonight.

The Blues welcome Kevin Doherty’s side to Waterford for their final home league game of the season, with kick-off at 7.45 pm.

Both teams enter the contest level on 34 points, although Waterford sit ahead of Drogheda on goal difference.

Monday night’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Galway United has given Coughlan’s side renewed belief in their battle to secure Premier Division football for next season.

Pádraig Amond struck twice in the opening half against Galway, including a spectacular overhead kick, before Tommy Lonergan grabbed a dramatic 90th-minute winner after the visitors had fought back to level the contest.

Speaking to WLR Sport ahead of tonight’s meeting, Coughlan revealed that confidence is high within the Waterford dressing room.

“The dressing room is buzzing. The boys are all on fine form. There’s a lot of jovial banter in training, a lot of focus, a lot of concentration, and it’s a good place to be at this moment in time.”

The Waterford boss believes the pressure surrounding the final weeks of the campaign is something his players should embrace.

“There’s a little bit of jeopardy in the game. There’ll be tension, there’ll be a little bit of nerviness, but it’s excitement. There’ll be a little bit of pressure. That brings the best out in people.

“As I said to you before, pressure makes diamonds.”

Having spent much of the campaign battling near the foot of the table, Waterford have fought their way back into contention, moving above Sligo Rovers and closing the gap on their relegation rivals.

Coughlan says the turnaround has given his players an opportunity few would have expected earlier in the season.

“We’ve crawled ourselves back from the dead. I’ve spoken to the players months back about creating the unexpected. Now they have the opportunity.

“We never thought we’d pull 21 or 22 points back on teams. We’ve gone above Sligo, left them in the rear-view mirror, and now we’ve got Drogheda and Galway in our sights.”

Despite the FAI Cup final against Derry City approaching, Coughlan insists his entire focus remains on tonight’s league encounter.

“The only cup final I’m interested in is against Drogheda. I don’t really want to know about any other cup final. I don’t want to know about the Shelbourne game. Tomorrow night is all I’m worried about, all I concentrate on.”

Defender Hayden Cann has also praised the impact Coughlan has made since taking charge, highlighting the improvement in both performances and the atmosphere around the club.

“We’ve come a long way since the start of the season. Since the gaffer came in, he’s been a breath of fresh air, really.

“Just with his messages that he wants us to do on and off the pitch, he’s been kind of a revelation.

“It’s just been so much better since the start of the season. I think you can see it on the pitch as well, but off the pitch, it’s been so much better.”

Cann believes Waterford’s impressive home form has been central to their resurgence, with the RSC becoming a difficult venue for visiting teams.

“Our home record’s been really good. The fans have helped massively. They’ve been the 12th man so many times this year.

“Monday was a prime example. They stayed with us right till the end, and Tommy gets the winner.

“I feel like most teams will come down to the RSC fearing us. We’ve made it into a proper fortress.”

The defender also acknowledged the importance of building on Monday’s victory over Galway.

“It’s going to be a massive game for us. It’s kind of like a cushion if we do win.

“Obviously, we want to get the win. That’s all we’ve been thinking about. We gave ourselves a good platform by beating Galway on Monday, and all we can do now is hope we get three points.”

Drogheda arrive in Waterford following an impressive 2-0 victory over Derry City last Friday, with Brandon Kavanagh and Mark Doyle on target.

The sides have one victory each from their three previous league meetings this season, with their most recent encounter finishing 3-3 after Benny Couto scored an 86th-minute equaliser for Waterford.

Coughlan has no fresh injury concerns ahead of tonight’s fixture, while Blair McKenzie is available again after recovering from illness.

With just two league matches remaining, victory tonight would represent another significant step in Waterford’s fight for Premier Division survival.

SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division

Waterford FC and Drogheda United kick off at the Regional Sports Centre tonight at 7.45 pm.

WLR will have live updates with Ray Scott