Massive boost for Blues ahead of new season
Waterford United 2 Longford Town 1
Waterford United will open up their new First Division campaign this Friday when they play Athlone Town at the RSC and they got the perfect boost on Friday night last when they defeated Premier League outfit Longford Town at the Kilbarry venue it what was their last pre-season game. The previous Monday they held another Premier League team, Cork City to a scoreless draw in Cork. The scene is now set for another promotion push and following last seasons disappointing displays much more will be expected from this newly assembled squad of players. Perhaps scoring goals will one again prove to be a problem but the last two outings have given the supporters much more hope ahead of the coming nine months.
After surviving a number of early corner kicks, the Blues put together a nice move on 13 minutes when Anthony McAlavey played a neat one two with Greg Peel but just as the former was about to pull the target Longford's Mark Salmon got in a brilliant tackle to clear the danger.
Town keeper Paul Hunt came to his sides rescue on 20 minutes when Jack Doherty sent in a superb delivery from the right that was nearly turned into his own by Stephen Rice but the net minder did well to keep the ball out that seemed destine for the net.
Longford struck the front five minutes later when they won a corner kick out on the left channel that saw Lorcan Shannon put the ball into a crowded area and it was Don Cowan that got the final touch from all of a yard out as the Blues failed to deal with the ball to the near post.
The Blues were nearly back on level terms in the final minute of the half when a magnificent through ball from Jack Doherty behind the Longford defence saw Glenn Hawe cut in from the left but the advancing Longford Town keeper Paul Hunt did well to save.
With Tommy Griffin making a total of five changes at the break, it was paid dividend with an equalising goal on 52 minutes when Jack Doherty did well on the left side to slip the ball into the path of Anthony McAlavey who swept a neat left-footed shot past substitute keeper Paul Skinner from the edge of the area.
The visitors went close to regaining their lead on 73 minutes when Dylan McKeever put a ball into the penalty area that was cleared by Dean Reidy to the top of the penalty area where Kevin O'Connor let fly but his cracking right-footed effort from 25 yards flew just inches wide of Connor's right-hand upright.
With five minutes remaining, the Blues won a penalty when Longford's Connor Dunne clearly handled a Jack Doherty cross from the left and Willie John Kiely made no mistake from the spot despite visiting keeper Paul Skinner guessing the right way.
It was the crossbar that saved the home side from conceding an equalising goal two minutes from the end when David O'Sullivan got on the end of a Conor Powell delivery from the left but his thunderous effort came off the underside of the crossbar.
Waterford United: Connor (Birdsall '73), Mernagh (Reidy '57), Dineen, Burns (Fitzgerald '46), Corcoran (O'Donnell '46), B. Nolan (Walsh '64), Donoghue (S. Nolan '46), McAlavey (Dorf '57), Peel (Kiely '46), Doherty (Breslin '86), Hawe (Hurley '46)
Longford Town: Hunt (Skinner '46), Tyrell (Norris '46), Rice (O'Connor '58), Shannon (Deady '58), Salmon (Gorman '46), Cowan (Dunne '58), Shaw (Simon '46), Powell, O'Sullivan, Flynn (McKeever '58), Rossister
Referee: Andrew Mullally (Waterford)
