Waterford FC will be hoping that tomorrow evening can deliver their first win in a month when they make the trip to Cobh.
The Blues last tasted victory with a 2-1 win over Wexford at the RSC where Junior Quitirna and Pheonix Patterson registered on the score sheet. It was also the last time either of the young attackers scored.
While Ian Morris' team have been struggling to find form and consistency on the pitch, Cork City have been busy extending their lead at the top. They've now gone five games with three points picked up at every opportunity. Some of those games were emphatic wins with 4-0 and 4-1 wins over Treaty and Athlone.
Galway have also been well rewarded for their efforts in the same period. It's been four from five for John Caulfield - who have only lost to Longford in the past month.
With Friday's 7.45 kick-off beckoning, Waterford trail top spot by eight points, and while Galway host Wexford at the same time, Cork have a weekend off.
Ian Morris' team could finish the weekend a step closer to second if their South-East neighbours can do them a favour on the West Coast.
While recent results have not been what the manager would have wanted, he does remark that the stats tell a different story than the scoreboard, with Waterford consistently better than their opponents in terms of possession, shots on target, and passes completed. While this does make for reassuring reading, it does point to a greater problem that they are doing all the right things, but not getting the points on the board as a result.
Morris told WLR Sport that just because a couple of games have gone against them, it doesn't mean wholesale change is needed.
"It will come good. You can't just keep chopping and changing or listening to noise outside. If you do that, you change your mind on every single thing and every single player. We are a good side and we will be putting together back-to-back wins and further as we go in. We'll put together a run of games that we'll just keep blowing teams away and that will come".
The record books will show that Waterford failed to pick up any points against Cork and Treaty while taking a share of the spoils from Longford, but Morris is holding firm that the team have performed well in creating chance and moving the ball around the park - "Bar the goals we're giving away, we've been decent. You've got to stick with it. People will want to throw mud but just ignore the noise. I don't listen to it or take it in. It's all emotion, and you've got to take away and keep trusting & believing in what you're doing."
When Waterford and Cobh met in pre-season, it was a routine 5-0 for Morris in what was first game in charge. Travelling Blues fans will be hoping for a return to that type of performance this Friday and an end of the fallow period they have endured of late.
