Waterford win a big blow for Longford Town in the chase for the promotion play-offs

Longford Town . . . 0    Waterford FC . . . 3

The visitors dominated the opening half hour and their first opportunity came on five minutes. Blues’ keeper Sargeant gathered a Longford Town cross and quickly released the ball down the right to Coughlan, he cut inside Town centre-back Temple and fired a shot from the edge of the Longford box that went narrowly over the bar.

Waterford deservedly took the lead in the 19th minute with a superb goal from full-back Ryan Burke. The Munster club won a throw-in halfway inside the Longford half, which was taken by Power, he picked out O’Keeffe who switched the ball across to the marauding Burke.

Burke surged forward, evaded the challenge of Town winger Doona before drilling home a brilliant twenty-five -yard low shot beyond Town keeper Brady that nestled into the bottom right corner of the Longford net.

The Town had to wait until the 27th  minute to have their first real chance. A Doona cross from the right resulted in striker Magerusan’s acrobatic overhead shot sailing wide of the far post.

Two minutes later, Waterford created a good chance at the other end. O’Keeffe played the ball out wide to Power who whipped in a cross that was headed just over the Town bar by Coughlan who was back in the team after recovering from injury.

The last fifteen minutes of the first half saw the home side come back into the contest with more possession and some really good opportunities to draw level.

On thirty-four minutes, a right-wing cross from Bastien Hery resulted in a Adam Wixted header deflecting off the back of Blues’ defender Power and straight into the arms of Waterford keeper Sergeant.

In the 43rd minute, Longford won a corner when a James Doona cross was deflected over the Waterford bar. Doona’s corner from the left was headed away by Cresswell but only out as far as Hery and his dangerous cross from the right was headed over by striker O’Brien Whitmarsh from just eight yards out.

In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Town striker Magerusan fired over the bar from a free kick and with the last attack of the half, the home side came very close to snatching an equaliser.

Longford launched an attack down the right. An Armstrong header was well controlled by the chest of Kyle O’Connor and he played a good ball to Wixted who played it back to the overlapping O’Connor. His first-time pass set Magerusan free down the right and he pulled the ball back to the advancing Hery whose sixteen-yard shot came crashing back off the Waterford post.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half were uneventful but then just after the hour mark, Town midfielder Bastien Hery (who had been sent-off on his debut against Kerry within minutes of coming on as a substitute) received his marching orders for a second time in just six appearances. He was booked for a tug on McMenamy and within a minute he picked up a second booking for a late challenge on O’Keeffe and was dismissed.

Waterford  took full advantage of the extra man on sixty-seven minutes as they went 2-0  up after a brilliant team goal that involved a huge slice of luck with Town defender Gavin O’Brien rebounding the ball into his own net.

Waterford worked the ball down the right and Phillips, Cresswell, Power, and Griffin were all involved before Griffin and McMenemy exchanged passes in a central position. Griffin switched the ball to Coughlan on the left edge of the Town box and he played a cleverly disguised chipped pass over the Town defence to pick out Cresswell inside the Town box on the right. Cresswell drilled in a low cross that resulted in Coughlan’s effort deflecting off the unfortunate O’Brien into his own net.

A stinging McMenemy strike was well saved by Town keeper Brady on seventy-four minutes, and two minutes later, Brady again came to the Town’s rescue with a sensational save.

A superb defence-splitting pass from Waterford substitute Pattisson put in Coughlan one-on-one with Brady, but he somehow  produced a world-class save to deny the First Division leading goal scorer.

However, Waterford only had to wait another two minutes to eventually score their third goal as a Parsons’ corner was headed against a Town defender by Giles Phillips and Pattisson pounced to fire home from close range.

Waterford richly deserved their victory and almost added a fourth on eighty-five minutes when another substitute, Roland Idowu, hit the Town post.

The Town are now seven points behind fifth place Wexford FC in the table and if Stephen Henderson’s charges don’t beat Wexford away on Monday night, then their play-off ambitions will be truly over.

LONGFORD TOWN: Brady, O’Brien, Temple, Hand, Doona, O’Connor, Hery, Armstrong, Wixted, Magerusan, O’Brien Whitmarsh.

Subs:- Boudiaf for Doona (64 mins), Jordan Adeyemo for O’Brien Whitmarsh, Ola Adeyemo for Magerusan, Giurgi for O’Brien (all 70 mins).

WATERFORD FC: Sargeant, Power, Osede, Giles-Phillips, Burke, Griffin, O’Keeffe, McMenamy, Parsons, Cresswell, Coughlan.

Subs:- Pattisson for Griffin (67 minS), Baker for Osede, Atakayi for Coughlan, Idowu for Parsons, Perry for O’Keeffe (all 83 mins).

Referee: Ray Matthews.