Shelbourne 2 Waterford FC 3

Waterford FC will head into next week’s Club Orange FAI Cup Final safe in the knowledge that they will be playing in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division next season after they came from behind to win against Shelbourne at Tolka Park. And they will thank their talismanic striker Tommy Lonergan whose winning goal secured this season’s Golden Boot with his16th goal of the season.

Despite falling behind early on, they rallied to level the game before the break and then an early second half goal set up a grandstand second half.

Kerr McInroy’s curling effort on nine minutes silenced the large Waterford support behind Stephen McMullan’s goal and the home side seemed to be in complete control as they stroked the ball around with so much composure.

However, the Blues’ were level 7 minutes before the break when Jorgen Voilas sent Evan McLaughlin away down the right. He raced into the area and when his attempted pass to Padraig Amond deflected back into his path he fired past Ed Beach.

Lonergan then turned provider for his captain seven minutes after the break when his perfect cross into the six yar box was met by Amond and he gave Beach no chance to draw level with Lonergan on 15 goals for the league campaign.

Some loose defending from the visitors saw Shels draw level with twenty minutes remaining as a short corner found it’s way to JJ Lunney and when he wasn’t closed down he was able to pick his spot and curl the ball beyond McMullan into the bottom corner.

But there was still time for a twist when Lonergan won it three minutes from the end as he met yet another Benny Couto delivery, this time from a free kick with pace and he powered his header beyond Beach to secure the golden boot and the three points.

Shelbourne: Beach, Caffrey, Casey, Ledwidge, Norris, Lunney, Kelly, McInroy, Henry-Francis, Moore, Martin

Waterford FC: McMullan, Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto, Voilas, Mawene, Noonan, McLaughlin, Amond, Lonergan

Referee: Aaron O Dowd