Waterford FC 2 Drogheda United 0

Matt Lawlor proved to be the oracle yet again as he began his second stint as interim manager with a hard fought but deserved victory over Drogheda United at the RSC.

The Blues made four changes with Sam Glenfield suspended and Jordan Rossiter injured so Dean McMenamy and Kyle Whyte came in as did Ronan Mansfield and Tommy Lonergan with Jesse Dempsey and Josh Miles dropping to the bench.

Waterford shaded the opening forty five minutes as Padraig Amond had a couple of great chances for the breakthough having been put through for a one on one on Luke Dennison by Ryan Burke and then meeting a Burke cross to head goalwards but again Dennison was equal to the task.

The opening goal arrived on fifty six minutes when Whyte floated a beautiful ball to the back post where Tommy Lonergan rose highest to power his header home.

Waterford kept battling away looking for another but they had to wait until injury time before Trae Coyle slipped the ball into the path of Dempsey and the substitute fired low across Dennison to the net.

Waterford FC: S McMullan, G Horton, K Radkowski, R Mansfield, R Burke, K Whyte (J Dempsey 73′), J Olayinka, C Noonan (M Smith 90+2′), D McMenamy, T Lonergan ( T Coyle 81′), P Amond

Drogheda United: L Dennison, C Kane, A Quinn, D Markey, J Thomas, S Farrell (S Farrell 68′), J Bolger (T Oluwa 76′), R Brennan (P Doyle 68′), C Keeley, O Lambe (L Heeny 69′), F Kareem (W Davis 57′)

Referee: A O Dowd