Blues cruise to win and close on Longford

Waterford United cruised to success at the RSC last night as the Blues kept their promotion hopes well and truly alive against an opposition side that battled but never looked capable of holding the home side.

Waterford took the lead inside two minutes when Paul Phelan did superbly well on the left of the penalty area to lay the ball into the path of Seanie Maguire, who turned brilliantly before firing past Ronan Forde from 12 yards.

There was nothing the Mervue keeper could do to stop Waterford netting their second goal on 31 minutes when Maguire combined once again with Phelan and he drilled a low left-footed shot to the corner of the net.

Waterford increased their lead three minutes into the second half when Peter White’s long ball was cleared by Mervue keeper Ronan Forde into the path of Peter Keegan, who was 35 yards from goal, and he lobbed the ball to the back of an empty net to put his side in the driving seat.

Mervue did pull a goal back for their efforts on 70 minutes when Alan Murphy picked up possession on the edge of the penalty area and his shot deflected off a Blues defender before flying past the helpless Packie Holden.

WATERFORD UNITED: Holden; Burns, Long, Breen, Mernagh; Ryan, White, Dempsey, Phelan; Keegan (G Keane 84), Maguire (Coad 88).

MERVUE UNITED: Forde, McSweeney (McEntee 9), Ludden, Casserly, Elwood (Walsh 37), Varley, Molloy, Kelly (King 87), Nkololo; Hoban, Murphy.

Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford).

SD Galway 1 Finn Harps 5

By Declan Rooney

Three goals in five second-half minutes gave Finn Harps their biggest win of the season at Eamonn Deacy Park last night.

Thomas McBride’s penalty gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at half-time, but a crazy spell from SD Galway — who had Eric Browne sent off late on — saw Ciaran Coll, McBride and Thomas Bonner hit the net for Harps just after the hour and sealed the win for the Donegal men.

After soaking up Finn Harps’ initial salvos, the home side should have taken the lead when Ronan Conlon and Michael Harty both missed good chances.

And they were made pay when McBride fired Harps into the lead from the spot seven minutes from the break after a foul inside the area by Harty.

Things didn’t improve for Galway after the break and Harps cantered to the win with their three quick-fire goals from Coll, a second from McBride and a fourth from Bonner.

Ronan Conlon’s header proved a consolation before substitute Matt Harkin saw Harps hit five for the first time this season.

SD GALWAY: Keane; Horgan (McConnell, h-t), Geraghty, Browne, Fadden; Harty, Greaney, Conlon, Tierney, Bradshaw (Molloy, h-t); Curran.

FINN HARPS: Gallagher; O’Hagan, Doherty, McMonagle, Bonner; Greene, Coll, McVeigh (Duffy, 82), McGowan, McBride; Merritt (Harkin, 77).

Referee: John Grimes.

Wexford Youths 1 Athlone Town 2

By Brendan Furlong

Mark Sherlock struck two second-half goals to hand Athlone Town all three points at Ferrycarrig Park.

The home side broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Tom Elmes ran on to a long ball over the defence to shoot low past Pat Jennings in the visitors’ goal.

Athlone had their best spell approaching the break but once again Sweeney, with sight of goal, had his effort tipped over by keeper Doyle.

Within two minutes of the restart Athlone were level. After Val Feeney had been taken down just inside the area, Mark Sherlock sent the keept the wrong way from the resulting penalty to equalise.

Athlone grabbed the winner seven minutes from the end. Sub Noel McGee picked up on a headed clearance from a corner to deliver a hard, low cross, that was deflected to the net by Sherlock.

WEXFORD YOUTHS: Doyle, Phelan, Carr (Scallan 60), Browne (Dempsey 83), Dermody, Malone, Keenan, Wall, Elmes, S Nolan, B Nolan (Broaders 72).

ATHLONE TOWN: Jennings, Woods, Scullion, Barrett (Conroy 80), McCarthy, Rushe (McGee 76), Hughes, Gill, Sherlock, Feeney (Guerin 90), Sweeney.

Referee: K O’Regan (Kerry).