Dundalk FC 2 Waterford FC 3

Waterford FC came from two goals down to secure their first away victory of the season in a thrilling SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash at Oriel Park.

A change of formation and another inspired set of substitutions inspired a Waterford comeback that provided their first win on the road in nearly a year.

In team news Graham Coughlan opted for a little bite in midfield with Luke Heeney returning in place of Conan Noonan’s delicate touch which seems indicative of the type of game that he expected this evening and was the only change to the side that lost out to Shamrock Rovers last weekend.

Defensive frailties were once again to the fore as the Blues fell two down inside a half hour. The first came on ten minutes when Eoin Kenny rose to back head a Daryl Horgan corner to the net and the visitors went two ahead on 29 minutes when the defence failed to clear the ball from two Dundalk efforts, Harry Groome pounced to blast the ball to the top corner.

Waterford, to their credit, kept plugging away and came close six minutes before the break when Tommy Lonergan blasted a shot off the woodwork.

They were rewarded on the stroke of halftime when Tommy Lonergan rose to head home a Benny Couto corner, with the referee relying on assistant Emmet Dynan who signalled that the ball had crossed the line before Bobby Burns had cleared it,

From the second half whistle Waterford kept the attacks going but it was a double substitution on 56 minutes that changed the game for the Blues. Coughlan introduced Jorgen Voilas and Sam Glenfield for Luke Heeney and Dean McMenamy and a change to a 4-4-2 formation brought huge purchase.

The reward was a penalty six minutes later after Burns stuck his arm out and Lonergan blasted it to the roof of the net. With Dundalk rattled, Waterford pressed forward with Hayden Cann denied by the excellent Enda Minogue on 66 minutes.

The breakthrough arrived five minutes from time when a Will Johnson long broke to John Mahon at the near post and the Blues defender hooked it over the goalkeeper to the net.

The Blues held firm into added time and when the final whistle sounded, the three points were secured for their first win on the road this season and the first since a 4-2 win over Galway United last July.

Dundalk FC: Minogue, T Wilson, Burns, Cornwall, Buckley, Teahan, Horgan, Groome (Treacy 68′), Dervin (Animasahun 74′), Kenny, Arubi

Waterford FC: McMullan, Houston (Coyle 80′), Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto, McMenamy (Voilas 56′), Heeney,(Glenfield 56′) Johnson, Amond, Lonergan

Referee: Marc Lynch