EA Sports Cup Rd 2:  FC Carlow  1 – 3  Waterford United (a.e.t.)

Waterford United left it late today to see off a spirited FC Carlow in the second round of the EA Sports Cup at a windswept Valley ground in the village of Ballon. Less than 48 hours after their league victory over Mervue, the Blues looked a little leggy, and somewhat lacklustre, in the early stages, but as the game wore on they proved to simply have too much for their hosts.

United started the brighter, and Joe Mulcahy drew a fine save from Jeff Moran after just five minutes. Willie John Kiely went closer still shortly after, with an acrobatic overhead kick that flew just wide of the far post. But Carlow stunned their guests with a goal out of the blue a minute later, as a Tomas Brennan throw-in from the right was missed by Seamus Long, allowing Neale Phelan to crash in a volley over Kevin Burns from 15 yards.

Waterford’s reply was swift, and a thing of beauty, as Kiely controlled Declan Woodgate’s low cross from the left, neatly touched it over the keeper 12 yards out from goal, and gleefully tucked it away into the empty net. Kenny Browne was desperately unlucky not to double the lead around the half-hour mark, as his header thumped into the top of the crossbar, and John Kearney and Kiely again missed chances before the break.

Playing with the strong wind in the second half, the Blues might have expected to ease into the lead, but a succession of missed chances followed, for both sides. David Grincell was first up, chasing a fine ball into the right channel only to see his shot deflected behind for a corner. Carlow then twice went close, first Craig Hore and then Brennan shooting straight at Burns when well placed. On 74 minutes Kevin Waters attempted an audacious wind-assisted volley from 40 yards that drifted a yard wide of the far post with Moran stranded, and then at the other end a half cleared free kick fell to Emmet Moran but his tame drive was held by Burns low down to his left.

One minute later Waterford thought they’d moved ahead, when a melee in the home box saw the ball cannon off Kiely and over the line from four yards, but play was called back for a foul on the keeper. Then right at the death both Woodgate, with a fine curling effort from distance, and Kieran Fitzgerald, put clean through but executing a poor lob attempt, had a chance to avoid the extra 30 minutes.

That extra time duly arrived though, and it was the Blues that proved better able to cope with the added demands, as they rather obviously stepped it up a gear. Four minutes in a great ball from the right saw Graham Cummins’ low shot well saved, and Fitzgerald’s volleyed follow-up fly inches wide. Waters then went agonisingly close, turning superbly with a deft back-heel but dragging his shot just wide of the far post. A superb ball down the middle before the interval saw Kiely race clear, but Moran was out quickly to make a superb block.

Moments after the restart though the deadlock was broken. In similarly unexpected fashion to Carlow’s opener, Waters turned quickly on the ball on the right side to whip in a shot from 20 yards out that bounced just in front of Moran and skipped into the net beyond his despairing grasp. Moments later he almost had a second, as a quick break down the left channel saw his volley whistle inches past the far post. It was left to Cummins to put the icing on the cake with two minutes remaining. Coming actually from a Carlow snap-shot straight at Burns, the Blues netminder launched a clearance downfield that bounced kindly for Cummins, and he timed his leap well to help the ball up and over the stranded Moran at the other end.

FC Carlow: Jeff Moran; Shane Harris, Adam Byrne, Emmet Phelan, James Dermody; Andrew Hickey (Fran Hore 95), Tomas Brennan (James Coleman 75), Cathal Coughlan, Robbie Farrell (Shane Clarke 80)

Goal: Phelan 12

Booked: Coughlan

Waterford United: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, Kenny Browne, Kevin Murray, Seamus Long (Kevin Waters 65); Joe Mulcahy (Gary Dunphy 91), Kieran Fitzgerald, John Kearney, Declan Woodgate; Willie John Kiely, David Grincell (Graham Cummins 80) – subs: Paul Carey, Paul McCarthy

Goals: Kiely 18, Waters 111, Cummins 118

Booked: Fitzgerald, Carey