Waterford take all three points in Drogheda

Anthony Wordsworth warmed the hands of Drogheda keeper David Odumosu from a free kick inside a minute before the hosts missed a golden chance to go in front on three minutes. Ronan Murray found space for himself down the left-side before putting in a cross for Dinny Corcoran, but his shot went wide of the far post.

Shane Griffin sent in a free kick for the Blues on eight minutes that picked out the run of Cian Kavanagh, but his header was straight at Odumosu before Mark Doyle charged down the left-side of the penalty area only to see his cracking left-footed strike go just wide of Brian Murphy’s far post.

Gary Deegan was lucky to get away with just a yellow card from Dublin referee David Dunne on 20 minutes when he went over the ball on a challenge on striker Cian Kavanagh, and it looked like the other coloured card should have been the call.

The home side nearly struck a classic goal from Mark Doyle on the half hour mark when the attacker got behind the defence to get on the end of a Deegan ball from midfield, but his looping header past keeper Murphy, just cleared the crossbar.

Waterford should have scored despite playing second best in the first half on 43 minutes when John Martin slipped the ball to Niall O’Keeffe, who played a first-time pass out to the left for Cian Kavanagh, but he fired a left-footed shot wide with only keeper David Odumosu to beat.  

Cameron Evans nearly put through his own net on 47 minutes when he turned Darragh Markey’s dangerous cross over his own crossbar before the latter forced Brian Murphy in a smart save from the left-side sixty seconds later.

It was the Blues that struck for the opening goal with 51 minutes on the clock when Phoenix Patterson was fouled on the edge of the penalty area, and Shane Griffin’s left-wing free kick was flicked home by the head of John Martin for his fifth goal of the season.

New signing Patterson had a golden chance to double the lead for Marc Bircham’s side three minutes later when he got in behind the Drogheda defence on the left-side, but with only keeper David Odumosu to beat, his shot was superbly turned over the bar.

Blues keeper Brian Murphy done well on 63 minutes when he gathered a teasing Ronan Murray cross on the second attempt, before the hosts drew level five minutes later when Murray’s right-wing cross was touched home by captain Jake Hyland from deep inside the area.

After playing second fiddle to the Blues up to that goal, Drogheda began to take control, and they carved out a chance for themselves on 80 minutes when Conor Kane tried his luck from distance that saw the ball hit Shane Griffin and take it wide of Murphy’s far post.

Junior Quitirna created a great chance for himself two minutes later when he burst through the defence only to be denied by the feet of Odumosu before the inspired second half change produced a piece of magic to strike for the winning goal on 83 minutes.

He showed great feet to pick out the run of Prince Mutswunguma out on the left-wing before picking up the returned pass to finish past David Odumosu, before Mutswunguma crashed a stunning effort off the bar after a Shane Griffin pass as the game entered injury time.

The game ended on a sour note for the Blues as midfielder Anthony Wordsworth received a straight red card from referee David Dunne for what nobody knows, but it shouldn’t deflect away from the brilliant second half display from the Blues that yielded all three points.