Waterford United  0 - 3  Shelbourne

Waterford United crashed to their heaviest home defeat since 2007 as they shipped three against Shelbourne with no reply at the RSC tonight. A Jekyll and Hyde performance saw the Blues follow a solid first half performance by conceding three second half goals to match the scoreline against Cork City three seasons ago. The result proved particularly costly for the home side, who slip to fourth place for the first time this season.

The Blues took to the field with three changes, as John Hayes, Paul McCarthy, and new signing Daryl Kavanagh replaced Timmy Purcell, the suspended John Kearney, and Shane Barrett who underwent an emergency appendectomy earlier in the week. An exceptionally bright start to the match saw the action swing from end to end, though it must be said the visitors were first to get into gear. David Cassidy went close with a effort from just inside the area which fizzed just over the top on seven minutes, and five minutes later he teed up midfield colleague David McGill 25 yards out, but he slashed wildly high and wide. Within moments a swift break down the Shelbourne right saw Dinny Corcoran race into the area, but Michael Coady made up a phenomenal amount of ground to get in a blocking tackle. That almost paid immediate dividends as play swung up the other end, a sweeping move involving Kavanagh, Paul Murphy and Willie John Kiely which set up Liam Kearney near the left endline, but his cross was poorly delivered.

As the half progressed, Cassidy and Kavanagh exchanged efforts from distance, the one high and wide, the other low but straight at the keeper, and Murphy and Paul McCarthy came close to getting on the end of well worked moves as the balance of play began to swing toward the Blues. Just before the break the Dubliners were given another chance to test Kevin Burns, but Sean Byrne struck a 20 yard free kick well over the top.

Play resumed after the interval in much the same way as it had started, and inside four minutes chances had again been traded at either end, Daryl Kavanagh testing Dean Delaney from the left corner of the area, and Dinny Corcoran firing well wide from a good, if congested, position in the middle of the Blues box. And it was Corcoran who broke the deadlock, on 56 minutes, a neat move starting with a throw in on the left. The striker, moving in from the left side, played a deft 1-2 with Marc Hughes, the back-heeled return perfectly weighted for Corcoran to strike low and hard inside the near post from 20 yards, giving Burns no chance.

If the first was well worked, Shelbourne’s second on 64 minutes was an absolute gift. David McGill’s low cross looked to pose little threat, but Alan Carey’s clearance didn’t get far, cannoning up off Kevin Murray, and dropping perfectly for the unmarked David Cassidy, who volleyed home from six yards out. And it could have been three within three minutes, as Philly Gorman’s back post header from a deep free kick was tipped up and onto the crossbar by Burns, and after a frantic scramble eventually charged away by Carey.

A shellshocked Blues battled hard to get themselves back on terms, and Paul Murphy saw a well-worked opportunity fly just too high on 75 minutes, but their luck really was out as the Reds went further in front late on. A long punt down the right set Philly Gorman in on goal, and though Burns stood up superbly to make the save, the rebound struck Gorman and bounced back over the stranded ‘keeper, as the forward’s momentum put him clean through to rattle home into an empty net. Minutes later Gorman flashed a volley across the face of goal when well placed, and deep into injury time he really should have scored when pouncing on a poor Murray back-header only to fire into the near side-netting, but in truth the visitors were more than pleased with their night’s haul, as they pull themselves back into the chase for the last play-off spot.

Waterford: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, John Hayes, Kevin Murray, Michael Coady; Daryl Kavanagh, Seamus Long (Gary Keane 78), Paul McCarthy (James O’Sullivan 70), Liam Kearney (Kevin Waters 70); Willie John Kiely, Paul Murphy – subs: Josh Byrne, Timmy Purcell

Booked: none

Shelbourne: Dean Delaney, Ray Scully, Sean Byrne, Ian Ryan, Gareth Whelan, Paul Shiels, David McGill, David Cassidy (Colin O’Brien 85), Dinny Corcoran (Mark Leech 79), Brian Farrell (Philly Gorman 56), Marc Hughes – subs: Steve Williams, Michael Coburn

Goals: Corcoran 56, Cassidy 64, Gorman 82

Booked: McGill, Gorman

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork)