Dundalk 0
Waterford FC 2
Waterford FC are up to third in the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Premier Division table following an impressive victory away in Oriel Park last night.
Blues boss Keith Long kept faith with the same starting XI that narrowly lost to league leaders Shelbourne prior to the mid-season break.
Dundalk came into this one on the back of 8 games unbeaten at home and hadn't conceded in 8 at Oriel Park - but this record was to be banished by a Blues display that was full of confidence and assurance.
Both sides went at each other in a lively opening 18 minutes but it was the Blues that got the breakthrough on 19 minutes and what a goal it was.
A superb turnover in defence and breaking at pace was Christy Pattisson who set up Connor Parsons and the Blues number 10 finished with aplomb from close range, giving Ross Munro no chance with a neat finish.
It got even better for Keith Long's charges 2 minutes before the interval when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box - superbly won by Ben McCormack who showed great tenacity to win the free kick which was superbly tucked away off the right boot of Dean McMenamy. A delicious curling effort into the bottom right-hand corner - the Blues fans into raptures and in dreamland as they led 2-0 at the interval.
Dundalk did lay siege to the Waterford goal and had numerous chances in the second half to get themselves back into the game.
John Mountney, Eoin Kenny and Sean Keogh all came close but the Blues defence held resolutely throughout and Sam Sargent was in fine form in the number one position for the visitors.
Kacper Radkowskci and Rowan MacDonald along with Grant Horton and Darragh Power defended valiantly throughout while it almost got better for the Blues as substitutes Connor Evans and Niall O'Keeffe both came close late on - but the Blues stood tall for a clean sheet and three valuable points as they move on to 34 points and up to third in the table having played 22 games.
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