Limerick FC  0 - 2  Waterford United

Waterford United tonight made it four away wins out of four at Jackman Park, as they eventually overcame a gritty and determined Limerick side to move up to 2nd place in the First Division table. A tense, tight and remarkably close encounter was decided by two blink-and-you-missed-them moments in the second half, two defensive lapses by the home side that were ruthlessly punished by forwards at the top of their game at the moment.

The Blues almost got off to a flying start, as less than two minutes in a superb ball from Willie John Kiely played in Kevin Waters for a first-time shot that flew inches wide of David Ryan’s right hand post. United kept the initiative as the game settled into its rhythm, but they were almost rocked on the quarter hour when a swift move down the right saw Wayne Colbert’s angled shot force Michael Devine into a superb save to touch away. Four minutes later the Blues defence switched off again, but Paul Walsh couldn’t make anything of the opportunity.

Limerick’s five-man midfield began to get the upper hand as the half wore on, with Colbert having the freedom of Jackman Park at times, but Waterford came back somewhat in the run up to the break. Seamus Long was unlucky to see a fine low cross just elude Kiely and Graham Cummins on 36 minutes, and Kiely hesitated a fraction too long when well placed under a corner kick moments later, allowing the Limerick defence to block the shot. From another corner Long tried his luck with a snap shot, but he skied it wildly over the top, and it remained honours even at the interval.

The stalemate continued into the second half, as the game ebbed and flowed, both sides vying for supremacy, but neither gaining the upper hand early on. Waterford, in truth, were struggling to make an impact on the game, and struggling to break down their hosts who were determined not to be broken down, and it was a lacklustre, disjointed performance for much of the match, not helped in fairness by the driving wind and rain.

 But on 62 minutes all changed, as Kiely caught almost everyone by surprise when he peeled away from his markers at the back post to touch home a Paul McCarthy cross-shot after great approach work from John Kearney. Alan Carey stung David Ryan’s hands with a free kick moments later, and United’s tails were suddenly up. Limerick, for their part, were forced to push on, and they made their last throw of the dice with the introduction of John Tierney, and a move to two up front.

The size of Limerick’s task was doubled on 71 minutes, as somewhat out of the blue substitute full back Brian O’Callaghan was adjudged to have fouled Waters in the box as they both attacked a cross from the right. Graham Cummins stepped up to drive the spot kick into the roof of the net, sending Ryan the wrong way.

The home side battled to get some way back on terms, but the Blues defence were equal to anything Limerick could throw at them, including Pat Purcell moving up to join the attack, and they saw the game out relatively comfortably, although Michael Devine had to be lively to punch away a dangerously flighted free kick late on. It finished a deserved, but hard-won victory for United, a great result only marred by a late winner for UCD at Mervue which keeps the Students on their own at the top of the table.

Limerick FC: David Ryan; Jamie Wunsch (Brian O’Callaghan 11), Paul Danaher, Pat Purcell, Martin Deady; Paul Walsh, Tommy Barrett, Wayne Colbert, Brendan Daly (John Tierney 67), Dave Ryan (Paul Cummins 56); Colin Scanlon – subs: Brian Collopy, Shane Treacy

Booked: Dave Ryan

Waterford United: Michael Devine; Alan Carey, Kenny Browne, Kevin Murray, Seamus Long; Joe Mulcahy (David Grincell 78), John Kearney (Kieran Fitzgerald 90), Paul McCarthy, Kevin Waters (Declan Woodgate 87); Graham Cummins, Willie John Kiely – subs: Kevin Burns, Gary Dunphy

Goals: Kiely 62, Cummins 71 (pen)

Booked: Mulcahy, Kearney