Blues pay the penalty as 10-man Shels go joint top

Shelbourne 1 Waterford 0

Waterford player-manager Alan Reynolds recovered from a groin strain to name himself in a starting 11 which also included a call up for David Breen while, for the home side, Wes Hoolahan and Jim Crawford started in place of Ollie Cahill and Alan Moore.

But Pat Fenlon’s best-laid plans appeared to have been rocked after only eight minutes when in-form Richie Baker tangled with Waterford’s Kevin Waters, foolishly striking out at his opposing number 11. The result was an immediate red card from referee John Feighery.

The first effect on the home side was the immediate break-up of the dream team of Glen Crowe and Jason Byrne, with the latter forced to go wide on the right of midfield while Crowe became the lone-front man.

The deadlock was broken in the 16th minute when Walters handled in the box while under pressure in the air to clear a Shels corner. Jason Byrne stepped up to cooly send Holden the wrong way.

Shelbourne worked so hard defensively to frustrate Waterford and ensure their man advantage didn’t pay, that nearly 40 minutes had elapsed before Steve Williams was forced to make his first decisive intervention.

Strong and mobile, the impressive Daryll Murphy, who was on trial at Ipswich Town all week, was both creator and would-be finisher, drifting across the Shels box and exchanging passes with Waters, before seeing his shot from an acute angle deflected away by Williams’ feet.

A moment later Paul Crowley sneaked in at the back post but could only head weakly from close range at Williams as Waterford piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser before the break.

As Waterford took up where they’d left off in the first half, Williams was called into action again on 55 minutes, getting down well to a Willie Bruton snap shot.

The one goal lead always looked vulnerable as Waterford upped the frequency of their attacks, but Shelbourne, with Colin Hawkins outstanding, repelled the best that Murphy and co had to offer - including a fierce drive across the face of the goal by Colm Heffernan which Hawkins headed clear from almost under his own bar. At the other end, until he was substituted late on, Wes Hoolahan, with some typically jinking runs, was a threat on the counter-attack, although the final ball repeatedly let him down.

With 20 minutes left Fenlon tried to refresh things when he sent on Cahill for Byrne and two minutes later Gary O’Neill for Crowe.

By then it was Waterford not Shelbourne who desperately needed a goal, but even with all three of their own substitutes on, the Blues couldn’t find a way to salvage a point and prevent the champions going joint top of the table with Cork City and Bray Wanderers.

SHELBOURNE: Williiams, Heary, Hawkins, Rogers, Crawley, Baker, Crawford, Stuart Byrne, Wes Hoolahan (86 Harris), Crowe (75 O’ Neill), Jason Byrne (70 Cahill).

WATERFORD UNITED: Holden, Frost, Breen, Crowley (69 Andrews), Mulcahy, Purcell, Reynolds, Waters (70 Yelverton), Heffernan, Bruton (85 Doyle), Murphy.

Referee: John Feighery.