Waterford FC came up short on Friday night in Oriel Park on Friday and as a result they remain in a relegation dogfight. with four games left to play.'
Daniel Kelly had the first chance of note on six minutes when Michael Duffy set up Patrick Hoban on the left-side, and after his cross was completely missed by Sean Murray, the ball fell to the winger on the right-side, but Jack Stafford blocked his first effort before the rebound went wide.
A loose clearance from Dundalk defender Daniel Cleary two minutes later saw Shane Griffin head the ball onto Junior Quitirna that put the striker into the clear on the left-side, but he dragged a left-footed wide of the far post.
John Martin robbed Dundalk full back Darragh Leahy of possession of the ball on ten minutes before he laid the ball off to Griffin, who in turn switched the ball out to the left for Phoenix Patterson, who brought the ball onto his right-foot, but his goalbound effort was blocked out by Raivis Jurkovskis.
Michael Duffy could have put the hosts in front two minutes later when the winger drifted inside Darragh Power on the left-side, but his shot that had keeper Paul Martin planted to his line just went wide of the far post, before Quitirna had a chance at the other end a minute later only to see his effort go just over.
Sean Murray nearly capitalised on a mistake from Kyle Ferguson on 13 minutes when his backward header when trying to deal with a long ball from Kelly saw the attacker go close, but the advancing Paul Martin put him off as his effort went wide.
After Greg Sloggett headed narrowly over the bar on 29 minutes, it was Jack Stafford that had a chance for the Blues a minute later when he got into an advanced position at the top of the penalty area, but his effort just cleared Peter Cherrie’s crossbar.
Dundalk missed the chance of the game to give the home side the lead nine minutes later when Michael Duffy got space down the left-side before crossing to the back post for Daniel Kelly, who brought the ball onto his left-foot in the centre of the goal, but he failed to hit the target when blazing over Martin’s crossbar.
The home side got their noses in front in the third minute of first half injury time when Sean Murray’s ball from inside his own half saw Stafford fail to deal with things, and after Daniel Kelly got first run behind the defender, and with Martin charging off his line, the winger kept his composure to apply the lethal finish from 18 yards.
It was Patrick Hoban that nearly added a second from the restart of the game when he latched onto the ball on the right-side after the Blues defence fell asleep, and after getting a clear sight on goal, the striker blazed horribly wide of Martin’s near post as Marc Bircham’s finished the half disappointingly.
The Blues nearly gifted Dundalk a second goal on 49 minutes when Darragh Power threw a ball straight to Will Patching, who in turn sent Hoban clear on goal on the right-side, but the Blues keeper Paul Martin stood tall to make a superb stop.
Martin kept his side in the game with a quite remarkable save from a controversial corner kick four minutes later when Sean Murray sent in a left-wing flag kick that picked out the run of Hoban in the centre of the goal, but his point-blank header was saved.
Anthony Wordsworth found space of himself inside the penalty area on the left-side on 54 minutes to pick up a Phoenix Patterson pass, but his teasing ball across the face of goal was just missed by John Martin at the back post as the Blues tried to drag themselves back into the contest.
It was Martin that gave to the rescue of the Blues once again with a brilliant double save seven minutes later when Daniel Kelly’s right-wing ball picked out Michael Duffy on the penalty spot, and his stunning effort was saved with Hoban’s close-range rebound also kept out.
Dundalk keeper Peter Cherrie produced a top class save to deny Waterford the equalising goal on 73 minutes when Anthony Wordsworth steered a brilliant ball between the home defence that sent Junior Quitirna clear on the left-side, but his left-footed strike was tipped over the bar.
Michael Duffy turned provider for Sami Ben Amar with just under ten minutes remaining in the contest on the left-side, but his effort just cleared Paul Martin’s crossbar as the game began to get stretched during the latter exchanges.
Wordsworth got in a vital block to deny Dundalk a certain second goal on 86 minutes when Sean Murray got on the end of a breaking ball inside the penalty area, but his goalbound effort was superbly kept out as Waterford ran out of ideas in a bid to get something out of the game.
DUNDALK FC: Peter Cherrie, Sean Murray, Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy, Daniel Kelly (Sami Ben Amar ’74), Raivis Jurkovskis, Michael Duffy, Greg Sloggett (Cameron Dummigan ’45), Will Patching, Daniel Cleary, Patrick Hoban (David McMillan ’85).
WATERFORD FC: Paul Martin, Darragh Power, Greg Halford, Kyle Ferguson (Niall O’Keeffe ’62), Jack Stafford, Anthony Wordsworth, Cameron Evans, Shane Griffin (Ronaldo Green ’62), John Martin, Phoenix Patterson, Junior Quitirna.
Referee: John McLoughlin (Roscommon).
