Shelbourne FC 2 Waterford FC 1

A valiant display from Waterford FC was not enough to prevent their second 2-1 defeat in the capital in seven days as they lost to Shelbourne is a cracking game at Tolka Park.

John Coleman restored Conan Noonan to the starting lineup in place of Trae Coyle in the only change from the side that lost against Shamrock Rovers on Monday evening while the Shelbourne lineup included no less than five former Waterford players.

And it was the league champions who got the early breakthrough with a delightful passage of play that ended with Kerr McInroy’s delicate ball behind the Blues’ defence for Ali Coote and the former Blue cleverly moved the ball onto his right and fired high to the net after just seven minutes.

Waterford were undeterred and kept to the game plan and were rewarded two minutes before the break with some silky interchange between James Olayinka and Jessie Dempsey on the left flank resulted in Dempsey’s low ball into the path on the incoming Conan Noonan who wrapped his left boot around the ball and rifled it to the opposite corner.

Waterford lived a little dangerously in the second period with the post and Stephen McMullan saving their blushes on two occasions before their luck ran out eleven minutes from time. Substitute Sean Boyd got involved in a tussle with Ryan Burke and even though he managed to get a cross into the area, the assistant referee Allen Lynch flagged for a foul and from the resultant free kick Harry Wood slipped it to Paddy Barrett who was tripped inside the area and Marc Lynch pointed to the penalty spot.

Wood sent McMullan the wrong way to restore the advantage and put Shelbourne back in front. Padraig Amond nearly equalised immediately with a strong shot being saved by Wessel Speel and he fired the rebound wide. The Blues continued the chase the game and despite threatening the Shels goal, there was no way through.

Shelbourne FC: W Speel, K Ledwidge, JJ Lunney (J Henry-Francis 68′), H Wood, J Martin(A Odubeko 68′), A Coote, S Bone (S Gannon 90′), J Norris (E Caffrey 60′), K McInroy (S Boyd 77′), M Mbeng (D Kelly 60′), P Barrett

Waterford FC: S McMullan, R Burke, G Horton (M Faal 90+1′), K Radkowski, J Miles (R Mansfield 75′), J Dempsey (K Whyte 59′), J Olayinka, S Glenfield (T Lonergan 49′), C Noonan, P Amond, J Rossiter

Referee: M Lynch