Waterford United  1 - 2  Wexford Youths

Kenny Browne drives forward through a crowded midfield

An oddly out-of-sorts Waterford United went down by the odd goal in three to a fired-up Wexford Youths at the RSC tonight. It was a strangely lacklustre performance from a Blues side who looked sluggish and weary at times, and only really came to life for the last twenty minutes of the game.

A cagey opening period saw little in the way of chances, though David Breen did hit the target with a header from a corner on 13 minutes, and Willie John Kiely glanced one wide a minute later at the other end. On 20 minutes, another exchange of chances, as Graham Cummins broke free into the right channel, and squared low for Kiely, who improvised well to back heel goalwards from six yards, but straight at Packie Holden. Almost immediately at the other end Conor Sinnott had a great chance at the back post from Liam O’Loughlin’s dangerous cross, but Michael Devine spread himself well to make a superb save.

The opening goal came shortly afterwards though, and it was the visitors who punished a Kenny Browne foul just outside the area when Gavin Doyle struck a magnificent free kick from 25 yards into the top right corner, Devine unable to keep it out. Kevin Waters almost forced a fortuitous reply moments later, as Holden weakly palmed a corner kick against the left winger and almost into his own net. The scrappy stalemate continued to the interval, with only a half chance from Gary Sheahan, well blocked by Devine, and one from Kiely, shooting wide of the near post from close range, at each end. In truth the Blues looked like a side who badly needed the break to get themselves sorted out.

It was the visiting side that were first out of the blocks after the interval though, as Doyle was quickest to react when John Kearney failed to cut out a Sinnott through ball, and he held off Browne into the area, only to shoot low straight at Devine. The Blues just couldn’t seem to get themselves going, and Sheahan’s pace was causing them problems at the back, and on the hour mark O’Loughlin should have made it 2-0 but he failed to connect with a drilled low ball across the six yard box from the Limerick man. United kept pushing for the equaliser, and Kevin Murray came close on 67 minutes, stabbing goalwards from a corner kick but not with enough power to make it through the crowded area. Waters tested Holden with a cross shot from wide on the left minutes later. On 72 minutes a killer blow from the Youths seemed to finish the game off, as a long ball forward saw Sheahan outstrip the Blues central defence to fire low into the far corner. Within a minute, however, Willie John Kiely had thrown United a lifeline, cleverly backheeling home from close range after Kevin Murray had nodded back Alan Carey’s cross from the far post.

Packie Holden holds a corner under pressure from Graham Cummins

But it was to be a false dawn, as the Youths withstood heavy home pressure, and Holden pulled off a couple of wonder saves to deny McCarthy and Cummins from distance. Indeed, as the home side pushed on they were in danger of falling further behind, Devine having to look lively to turn another Sheahan effort behind his near post, but the last chance fell to Murray, as he crashed a close range volley against the solid black defensive wall as normal time expired, and with it went the Blues’ last chance of a point that in truth they scarcely deserved.

A bad day at the office then, as a disappointed Stephen Henderson called it after the game, but if there is an upside to the result it is that the Blues remain on top of the table, and can regain a lot of the initiative lost this weekend with a win at Tolka next Friday. In the meantime there’s the not-insignificant matter of a Munster Senior Cup Final to be contested in three days time!

Waterford United: Michael Devine; Alan Carey, Kenny Browne, Kevin Murray, Declan Woodgate (David Grincell 74); Paul McCarthy, John Kearney, Kieran Fitzgerald (Gary Dunphy 60), Kevin Waters; Graham Cummins, Willie John Kiely – subs: Kevin Burns, Paul Carey, Joe Mulcahy

Goals: Kiely 73

Booked: Kearney, Browne

Wexford Youths: Packie Holden, Anto Russell, Peter White, David Breen, Liam O’Loughlin (Garrett McCurtin 63), Paul Rossiter, Conor Sinnott, Patsy Malone, Robert Vickers, Gary Sheahan (Marty Kehoe 87), Gavin Doyle (Shane Dempsey 76) - subs: Shane Sinnott, Richie Fitzgerald

Goals: Doyle 27, Sheahan 72