Waterford United  2 – 0  Longford Town

Waterford United put themselves firmly back at the head of the chasing pack in the First Division, with a well earned victory over Longford Town at the RSC.

The Blues were on the offensive from early on, but it was the visitors who created the first dangerous situation, Peter Hynes setting Cathal Brady free over the top, and only a superb last-ditch tackle from Kevin Murray prevented the shot on goal. At the other end, Willie John Kiely had his close range shot on the turn charged down, and Paul Murphy fired high and wide of the angle from a clever Alan Carey corner, before the Blues took the lead on 18 minutes. A John Kearney corner from the right was met with a towering back post header from an unmarked Murray six yards out, the ball bouncing down and up into the roof of the net.

Longford had the opportunity to level matters within six minutes, Mark Salmon’s excellently struck free kick producing an even better save from Kevin Burns, flying towards his top left corner to tip over. With chances being exchanged at either end, Kiely tested Aaron Shanahan with a dipping snap-shot from 25 yards out, and Lee Roche almost caught Burns out with a long-range looping header from Niall O’Reilly’s cross, the ball dropping onto the roof of the net. On 38 minutes John Kearney neatly nodded a dropping ball to his namesake Liam, but he didn’t quite get hold of his volley, and Shanahan made a routine save. As half time approached another Blues attack saw Sullivan cross for Murphy 15 yards out at the back post, a measured strike on the volley flying a yard wide of the far post. And seconds later the home side went closer still, when Liam Kearney worked space on the left, rolling a super ball in low for Sullivan, whose side-footed effort hit the near-side netting.

The second half began a much more scrappy affair, the Blues with the lion’s share of possession, but Longford with two excellent chances early on, the first on 59 minutes as Kevin Burns missed a high free kick under severe pressure from Chris Deans, and Mike Lee headed over the top, and then three minutes later when Mark Salmon put Lee Roche through 1-on-1 against Burns, the United netminder standing up brilliantly to block, with Kevin Murray completing the clearance from Peter Hynes. The Blues saw two wonderful chances go by within a minute just after the hour. Alan Carey’s left sided corner kick was met with a powerful Willie John Kiely header that flew wide of the near post, and moments later great work from Liam Kearney wide on the left saw him cut inside and fire low for the near post, but a wonderful fingertip save from Aaron Shanahan somehow kept it out.

United did go further in front on 70 minutes, as a sublime cross-field ball from Shane Barrett found Liam Kearney wide on the left, and as he cross low the ball was blocked by the outstretched arms of substitute Aidan Roche. Carey stepped up to fire the spot kick low and left, and though Shanahan got a hand to it he couldn’t keep it out. The home side had their tails well and truly up at this stage, and were unlucky not to go further ahead on 77 minutes, when neat interplay set up Kiely for a shot from the edge of the box, excellently saved by Shanahan, the rebound coming quickly back to Liam Kearney who fired it against the crossbar.

Longford were far from out of the game though, and they really should have pulled one back on 82 minutes, as Peter Hynes was allowed to make headway in the area, pulling a cross-shot wide of the far post, where Lee Roche lurked unmarked, but luckily for the Blues his shooting boots weren’t tied and he put his shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post. From there, the home side comfortably saw out the remaining time, Kevin Waters, especially, looking lively on the left wing for the closing minutes. Right at the death, James O’Sullivan almost made it three, but his close range effort was well blocked again by Shanahan, Waters just failing to lob the keeper from the rebound. It mattered little in the end, as a fine win and a vital three points were secured, that puts the Blues back into second spot.

Waterford: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, Seamus Long, Kevin Murray, Michael Coady; Paul Murphy (Gary Keane 85), Shane Barrett, John Kearney, Liam Kearney (Kevin Waters 81); Vinny Sullivan (James O’Sullivan 92), Willie John Kiely – subs: Chris Konopka, Paul Carey

Goals: Murray 18, Carey 71 pen

Booked: Carey, Coady, Long

Longford: Aaron Shanahan, Niall O’Reilly, Mike Lee, Viktor Ekanem, Chris Deans, John Lester, Cathal Brady (Aidan Roche 66), Mark Salmon, Peter Hynes, Lee Roche, Gary Cronin (Jason Oladele 54) - subs: Stephen Conlon, Kevin Cronin, JP McDonagh

Booked: Deans, O’Reilly, Ekanem

Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford)