Monaghan United  4 – 2  Waterford United

After reaching half time two goals to the good, twenty second half minutes cost Waterford United dearly in their promotion chase at Gortakeegan on Friday. From a position where they were squarely back in the title hunt, they now find themselves in fourth spot, with a battle on their hands to regain a ply-off berth, as the most exciting first division in years reaches its climax.

The Blues got off to a flying start on four minutes when Willie John Kiely continued his scoring spree, getting to Liam Kearney’s cross just ahead of Gabriel Sava to head home the opener. Monaghan’s woes continued when Karl Bermingham was forced off injured after only 11 minutes, and just before the half hour they fell further behind with a virtual carbon copy of the first goal, as Liam Kearney, set up once more by Alan Carey, whipped in a cross which Vinny Sullivan got his head to ahead of Sava. The home response was a warning of what was to come, as Philly Hughes hit the inside of the post from close range, and Shane Grimes forced a superb reaction save from Kevin Burns, but Sullivan had a chance on the break to put the game out of reach just before half time, only for a last ditch Sean Brennan challenge to keep the home side in it.

The home side turned things around spectacularly in the second half, though Liam Kearney was first to threaten with a long-range effort well saved by Sava. On 64 minutes Michael Coady was harshly adjudged to have brought down Brennan, and Philly Hughes despatched the resultant penalty. Burns produced a super flying save from Hughes moments later, but was powerless to prevent the equaliser on 70 minutes, when Cathal O’Connor picked his spot from close range. The visitors were stunned by the turnaround,  and were behind within nine minutes, when Burns took his eye off O’Connor’s cross, allowing Brennan to head into an empty net. Hughes capped Waterford’s misery on 84 minutes, when another O’Connor cross deflected fortuitously into his path for a simple tap-in.

Monaghan: Gabriel Sava, Aidan Collins, Brian Gartland (Aidan Lynch 45), Shane Grimes, Conor McMahon (Paul Whelan 83), Alan Byrne, Brian Clancy, Cathal O’Connor, Don Tierney, Karl Bermingham (Sean Brennan 11), Philly Hughes – subs: Anthony Costigan, Darragh Hanaphy

Goals: Hughes 64 pen, 84, O’Connor 70, Brennan 79

Booked: Brennan, Byrne, Collins

Waterford: Kevin Burns; Alan Carey, Seamus Long, Kevin Murray, Michael Coady; Timmy Purcell (Paul Walsh 75), Gary Dunphy (Kevin Waters 83), John Kearney, Liam Kearney; Vinny Sullivan (Paul Murphy 75), Willie John Kiely – subs: Chris Konopka, James O’Sullivan

Goals: Kiely 4, Sullivan 29

Booked: Sullivan, Kiely

Referee: P Caschera