Finn Harps  1 – 1  Waterford United

Waterford United will consider that they very much left two points behind them at Finn Park tonight, but in the end they needed Willie John Kiely to salvage a point from off the bench.

The Blues were well on top in the first half, with Vinny Sullivan in particular causing the home side real problems. Inside the first half hour the Dungarvan man flashed a volley inches wide of the far post, before going a shade closer shortly afterwards, pulling his shot from John Kearney’s through ball onto the post and away. Then on 36 minutes, Harps took the lead with their first attack of note, as Tommy Bonner’s ball across the area was converted by Davitt Walsh at the back post.

With the sides more even matched after the restart it took the introduction of Kiely to break the deadlock. A flurry of chances saw Sullivan hit the post for a second time, directing Paul Murphy’s cross-shot onto the woodwork. Liam Kearney fired in the rebound only to draw a superb save from James Gallagher, and Kiely thumped home the second rebound from close range. Sub Kevin Waters had a chance to give the visitors the lead late on, but fired over when well placed, as the Blues searched for a deserved winner. Then right at the death Kevin Burns had to make a smart save to turn Matt Crossan’s effort around the post to preserve the draw, but overall United will certainly see this as two points lost.

Finn Harps: James Gallagher, James Doherty, Jonathan Minnock, Packie Mailey, Matthew Crossan, Mark Forkar (Stephen McLaughlin 74), Michael Funston, Thomas Bonner, Marc Brolly, Davitt Walsh (Oisin McMenamin 83), Kevin McHugh – subs: Shane O’Gara, Aaron O’Hagan, Gary Whoriskey

Goals: Walsh 36

Booked: Walsh, Minnock, McMenamin

Waterford: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, Seamus Long, Kevin Murray, Michael Coady; Gary Keane (Willie John Kiely 62), James O’Sullivan (Shane Barrett 70), John Kearney, Liam Kearney; Paul Murphy, Vinny Sullivan (Kevin Waters 82) - subs: Chris Konopka, Paul Carey

Goals: Kiely 73

Booked: Murphy, J Kearney

Referee: John Grimes (Dublin)