Cobh Ramblers hold Waterford at RSC
Waterford United 1 Cobh Ramblers 1
Former Waterford United manager Stephen Henderson returned to the RSC on Friday night last and he watched his new Cobh Ramblers team take a point from a game that was far from a classic. There was a big talking point however deep into stoppage time. The Ramblers goalkeeper David Browne pulled down Shane Nolan deep inside the penalty area. The ball fell into the path of Anthony McAlavey and the Blues midfielder hammered the ball high into the net but the match referee Michael O'Connor had already pointed to the penalty spot and as a result the goal was not allowed stand. Willie John Kiely, the player who had opened the scoring took the resultant penalty but he shot hopelessly wide and once again two more points were squandered by the home side.
Cobh created the first chance on 24 minutes when Kevin Mulcahy sent in a cross from the left that was headed clear by Craig Burns into the path of Stephen Kenny but his right-footed shot from 25 yards was wide of the right hand post of Blues keeper Matthew Connor.
Anthony McAlavey did have a half chance for the hosts on 37 minutes when he tried his luck with a left-footed shot from 25 yards but his effort never troubled the Ramblers keeper David Browne as neither side could gain any real control of the game as an attacking threat.
Shane Dineen had the first effort of a quite appalling first half three minutes on target when the central defender got his head on the end of a long throw from the right from Dylan Mernagh but his header was comfortably saved by keeper Browne.
It was Stephen Kenny that could have put the Cork side in front four minutes after the restart when Ryan Goldsmith played in a cross from the left channel that wasn't dealt with by either Matthew Connor or Shaun Corcoran but the former just couldn't connect with the ball.
The Blues got their second half off to the perfect start with the breakthrough goal on 51 minutes when Anthony McAlavey's free kick was punched up in the air by Cobh keeper David Browne and it was Willie John Kiely that flicked the ball to the roof of the net from six yards.
There was a real let off for the hosts on 61 minutes when a brilliant through ball from Graham McCarthy set up Robert Waters clear down the right side of the penalty but the attacker dragged the ball just wide of the far post of keeper Matthew Connor.
Dylan Mernagh went agonisingly close to doubling the Waterford lead sixty seconds later when he got on the end of a brilliant right-wing delivery from Jack Doherty but his effort on his right side of the penalty area was just inches wide of the near post.
The equalising goal arrived for the visitors on 68 minutes when Ryan Goldsmith got plenty of space out on the left before putting in a cross that found the head of Robert Waters and he notched his four goal of the week when powering a neat header past a helpless Matthew Connor.
With the sides level deep into added time there came that late penalty drama that saw Kiely miss but there was still more time for dramatics as seconds later, Shane Nolan hit the deck for what looked a certain penalty but the Kildare referee was unmoved before sounding the final whistle. It was an extraordinary finish to what was in reality a poor contest. Next up for Waterford is an away trip to play UCD on Friday next.
Waterford United: Connor, Reidy (Hawe '83), Corcoran, Burns, Mernagh, Dineen, S. Nolan, B. Nolan (Boyle '80), Kiely, McAlavey, Doherty (Hurley '77)
Cobh Ramblers: Browne, Murphy, Frahill, Bhandarkar, Mulcahy, G.McCarthy, S O'Connor, S Kenny (Lynch '82), S McCarthy, Waters (Creamer '86) Goldsmith.
Referee: Michael O'Connor (Kildare)
