St Patrick’s Athletic 0 Waterford FC 2

Waterford FC moved nine points clear of bottom side Sligo Rovers with a performance for the ages at Richmond Park as they brushed aside the challenge of title chasing St Patricks Athletic with one of their best displays of the season.

Graham Coughlan made one change to the side that secured a share of the spoils at The Showgrounds last week with Jorgen Voilas making his first league start since the game against the Saints at the RSC on July 10 with Hayden Cann dropping to the bench while Stephen Kenny also made one change with James Brown being replaced by Zach Elbouzedi.

And with that change, came a change of formation for the Blues as Coughlan opted for a 4-4-2 set up that was designed to limit the overload in the centre of the park and it worked a treat.

They had chances inside the opening ten minutes with Tommy Lonergan, Conan Noonan and Padraig Amond combining to set up Lonergan but his shot was easily dealt with by Joseph Anang. St Pat’s came close on 20 minutes when a Luke Turner shot was deflected by Noah Mawene but Stephen McMullan dived to parry the ball and gathered at the second attempt.

Chances then fell the way of Lonergan and John Mahon who met a Benny Couto corner but Anang punched it away and Evan McLaughlin forced the best from Anang when he started a move involving Voilas and Noonan and ended it with a close range shot that was blocked by Anang.

Waterford opened the second half with the same zest and nearly got the perfect restart when Lonergan picked up a through ball from Jordan Houston but crashed his shot off the woodwork, However, the league’s top scorer turned provider for the Blues’ opener on 55 minutes when he won possession just outside the box, raced in and squared for Voilas who turned the ball home from close range.

While Mahon’s header from a Couto corner in the first half was saved by the goalkeeper there was no stopping him 14 minutes from time when the Sligoman rose to power his header into an empty net which stunned the home crowd.

Misses from Ryan Sheridan and James Brown late on were the only worries for the visitors and Voilas should have scored his second in injury time when he raced through but Anang somehow got a touch.

With results elsewhere going the way of the Blues, Waterford now find themselves four clear of Drogheda and nine ahead of Sligo Rovers.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang, Redmond, Hoare, Turner (McClelland 79′), Elbouzedi, Forrester (Rooney 79′), Lennon, Nugent (Sheridan 59′), Breslin (Brown 59′), Olusanya, Keena (Edmondson 66′)

Waterford FC: McMullan; Houston (Cann 79′), Mahon, Long, Couto; Voilas, McLaughlin (Heeney 88′), Mawene (McMenamy 88′), Noonan; Amond, Lonergan. 

Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan)