Waterford FC 3 Dundalk 3

Waterford FC’s decision to part ways with their manager on Saturday may not have produced the usual “bounce” but they showed a lot of character to secure a share of the spoils in cracking SSE Airtricty Men’s Premier Division game at the RSC.

Caretaker bosses David Breen and Brian Murphy made two changes with Kevin Long ruled out with a knock picked up against Shamrock Rovers so Ronan Mansfield came in while Conor Carty was replaced by Tommy Lonergan.

It was an even game in the early stages with both sides probing the other but the Lilywhites got the break through on fourteen minutes when Eoin Kenny got around Benny Couto and his cross was met by Daryl Horgan who slotted home at the second attempt.

They should have been two up within eight minutes when Horgan turned provider for Kenny but his header was scrambled off the line by John Mahon.

They doubled their lead ten minutes before the break when Kenny crossed from the left for the unmarked JR Wilson who headed back across the goal and when the ball came off the upright, Gbemi Arubi was first to react to touch it home.

Waterford did test Enda Minogue with a Lonergan free kick before he scored his fourth of the season five minutes before the break, getting on the end of a low cross from Jordan Houston to fire past Minogue.

Jordan Faria was introduced as a second half substitute and he fired against the crossbar with his first touch of the game and the Blues levelled the game on the hour mark as Dean McMenamy’s cross was flicked home by Padraig Amond.

Dundalk went back in front against the run of play with seven minutes remaining when Kenny delivered yet another excellent cross and Horgan had an easy header past Arlo Doherty.

To their credit, the Blues refused to give up and they levelled the game two minutes from time when John Mahon finally powered a header past Minogue from an Evan McLaughlin corner having been denied twice before by the Dundalk keeper from similar corners.

Waterford FC: Doherty, Houston (Johnson 86′), Couto (Faria 57′), Mahon, McLaughlin, Amond, Noonan (Glenfield 72′), Cann, Lonergan, Mansfield, McMenamy (Coyle 86′)

Dundalk: Minogue, Burns (McDaid 78′), Animasahun (Warren 66′), Horgan, Groome (Dervin 57′), Arubi, Kenny, Tracey (Teahan 57′), Spaight, T Wilson, JR Wilson

Referee: Daniel Murphy