Shelbourne  1 – 2  Waterford United

An immense second half display secured home play-off advantage for Waterford United at Tolka Park last night. In a fantastic pulsating game, the Blues withstood an early Shelbourne onslaught, got back on terms to trade a succession of chances with their hosts in a ding-dong middle section, before dominating the later exchanges to get themselves back in front and in fact end the match pulling away from the Reds.

Shelbourne came roaring out of the blocks on the starting whistle, and within two minutes had forced Kevin Burns into a stunning save to keep his goal intact. As the onslaught continued, David Cassidy and Marc Hughes, twice, had good sights of goal and should have done better each time, but on 25 minutes the Blues showed their teeth when Willie John Kiely lifted the ball over Dean Delaney only to see it clip the outside of the top of the post.

That signalled a good spell of United pressure, but despite this the home side took the lead on 33 minutes, Cassidy finding Hughes on a breakaway, and Mark Leech taking the neat pass just inside the right of the area to drill low past Burns into the far corner. As half time approached both keepers were called into action in quick succession to deal with superbly struck free kicks. Burns produced an amazing save to turn Ray Scully’s effort around the post on 42 minutes, and just before the whistle Delaney matched his counterpart to deny a brilliant Paul Murphy strike.

The crackle and fizz of the match resumed after the break, but the visitors were starting to gain the upper hand, with Liam Kearney, in particular, causing havoc in the Shelbourne half. 52 minutes in a clever short pass set up Willie John Kiely to again clip the outside of the post, but less than a minute later at the other end David McGill hit the side netting from close range. The home side had a loud handball shout waved away moments afterwards, but then they needed two great stops to preserve their lead, the first as Ian Ryan slid in to make a wonderfully timed block from Kiely as he pulled the trigger, the second from Delaney who got down well to deal with Gary Dunphy’s well struck effort from distance.

The Blues kept piling on the pressure, and when a Murphy piledriver was deflected behind it felt like the long-heralded equaliser wouldn’t be long more in coming. On 74 minutes it duly arrived. A double substitution for United only added to Shelbourne’s woes as the visitors drove forward even more relentlessly, until finally the home defence couldn’t deal properly with an attack, and the ball fell to John Kearney to smash home at the back post.

With the other crunch match of the night still all square at Gortakeegan, Shelbourne knew that they simply had to score again, but try as they might the Blues stood firm, breaking up attacks in midfield as often as defence, and limiting their hosts to a couple of corner kicks. Then, a quick breakway swung the tables the full 180 degrees, as Murphy raced clear down the wing before swinging the ball in to the unmarked Kiely, who took a settling touch and fired home the winner past the hlepless Delaney. With tails firmly up, and the home side visibly shaken, United finished the game the stronger, and Murphy had a chance to grab a deserved goal of his own a minute from time, but the Shels keeper was equal to the shot.

And so the Blues now face Monaghan United in that home play-off next Tuesday night, hoping to keep up the momentum that has seen them win the last four in a row, a target set by the boss a month ago and now duly gained. With the prize of the final promotion tie against either Bray or Galway at stake, let’s hope everyone can get out and bring as many as they can with them so that a big, noisy, and vocal support can play their part in one of the great RSC nights!

Shelbourne: Dean Delaney, Stephen Quigley, Gareth Whelan, Ian Ryan, Stephen Paisley, Paul Shields, David McGill, David Cassidy (Colin O’Brien 40), Ray Scully (Eric Foley 83), Mark Leech, Marc Hughes (Brian Farrell 75) – subs: Steve Williams, Mick Coburn

Goals: Leech 33

Booked: none

Waterford: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, Seamus Long, Kevin Murray, Michael Coady; Timmy Purcell (Paul Walsh 71), Gary Dunphy (Shane Barrett 71), John Kearney, Liam Kearney (Kevin Waters 91); Paul Murphy, Willie John Kiely – subs: Chris Konopka, Paul Carey

Goals: J Kearney 74, Kiely 84

Booked: Kiely

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork)