Waterford United  1 - 2  Monaghan United

Waterford United tonight suffered their second defeat of the season to a gritty Monaghan side who proved impossible to shake off their lead once they’d attained it, however improbably. The Blues twice hit the woodwork, and forced Gabriel Sava into several saves, but in truth it wasn’t a vintage performance, though they might have expected better luck from their first half performance.

The Blues made three changes to the side that drew against Limerick, John Hayes and Kevin Waters slotting in to replace the centre back pairing of the suspended Seamus Long and Kevin Murray, who didn’t make a late fitness test, and Gary Keane making his league debut on the right in place of James O’Sullivan, and after a sluggish opening few minutes it was the home side who began to gain the upper hand. On nine minutes they had the ball in the Monaghan goal, a lovely move up the right seeing Keane’s cross helped on by Paul McCarthy, and Vinny Sullivan powered a near post header to the net, but had just strayed offside. Within seconds a Liam Kearney cross forced Brian Gartland to head over his own crossbar, and moments later a 25-yard Keane snap shot flew just over the top.

But unbelieveably, on 14 minutes Monaghan took the lead. Sean Brennan appeared to fall over Philly Hughes’ quickly returned pass in the box, but with John Kearney in close attendance, the referee deemed the Waterford man responsible and pointed to the spot, Hughes stepping up to send Burns the wrong way. Within moments a superb Michael Coady charge from deep threatened to provide the perfect response, a superbly struck low shot from 25 yards drawing an equally superb touch from Gabriel Sava onto his far post and away.

On 22 minutes things got more than a bit heated. Alan Byrne’s nasty elbow into the face of Kevin Waters resulted in just a yellow card, but the challenge incensed Gary Dunphy on the Blues bench, and his reaction earned him a sending off. The Blues kept up the forward pressure for the remainder of the half, albeit without the killer final ball, but with a minutes left before the break they hit the woodwork again. Keane’s lovely little slipped pass put Alan Carey in on the right touchline, and his measured pull-back found Sullivan, whose 8 yard volley rattled the crossbar with Sava well beaten.

The second half started again in a cagey fashion, Monaghan playing with the stiff breeze this time, but neither side creating anything of note, until a nicely built up Blues move, of a dozen or so passes, ended with a Paul Murphy strike from distance which unfortunately cannoned off his strike partner Vinny Sullivan. Monaghan responded with a fine strike from Barry Clancy, always rising from 25 yards out, but close enough to force Kevin Burns to see it over the crossbar. The visitors again got in to shoot from distance on 62 minutes, a wild one this time as Sean Brennan blazed wide from the edge of the area. In fact as the half wore on it was the Ulstermen who had the greater share of the play, but the Blues gamely tried to get back on terms, and a superb low 70th minute Murphy cross deserved to have been met with a finish.

But as the clock wound down, the home side’s efforts began to peter out in a succession of misreads and misplaced passes, Monaghan soaking up everything thrown at them as they comfortably saw out the remaining minutes. In fact, the Ulster side finished fat the stronger. They could have doubled their advantage on the 90 minute mark, as superb work and a pin-point cross from the right was met by a flashing Darragh Hanaphy header, equally matched by Kevin Burns’ stunning reaction save. And they did double it on 93 minutes when Hughes raced in onto a Don Tierney punt from deep, holding off John Hayes to fire low under Burns from 15 yards. An almost immediate consolation at the other end, Willie John Kiely sliding in to tuck home Murphy’s cross from the right, failed to put a shine on a bad night at the office for the Blues, who’ve lost ground to both Monaghan and Limerick, and are now 10 points behind leaders Derry City.

Waterford: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, John Hayes, Kevin Waters, Michael Coady; Gary Keane (Willie John Kiely 63), Paul McCarthy (James O’Sullivan 89), John Kearney, Liam Kearney; Paul Murphy, Vinny Sullivan – subs: Chris Konopka, Paul Carey, Gary Dunphy

Goals: Kiely 94

Booked: J Kearney

Sent Off: Dunphy 22 (from bench)

Monaghan: Gabriel Sava, Comor McMahon, Anthony Costigan, Aidan Lynch, Brian Gartland, Don Tierney, Sean Brennan, Alan Byrne, Philly Hughes, Aidan Collins (Karl Bermingham 15 (Darragh Hanaphy 87)), Barry Clancy (Cathal O’Connor 84) - subs: Shane Grimes, Stefan McKevitt

Goals: Hughes 14 pen, 93

Booked: Byrne, Bermingham, McMahon, Collins

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin)