Blues shut out

Ten-man Waterford United slipped up in the race for automatic promotion as they were held to a scoreless draw by Athlone Town at the RSC.

Athlone looked the more composed of the two sides during the opening half and Sean Skelly worked himself a shooting opportunity after a neat passing move.

Peter White did go close to breaking the deadlock for the Blues five minutes before the break but his shot from 35 yards flew inches wide.

Noel McGee put his diving header straight at home keeper Packie Holden before the Blues were reduced to 10 men on 79 minutes when striker Willie John Kiely received a straight red card for a late tackle on Mark McGoldrick.

The best move of the match came four minutes from time when White linked up with Aidan McGrath. When McGrath put the ball into the penalty area for White, who had continued his run, his diving header whistled inches wide, with Athlone keeper Pat Jennings beaten.

When the fourth official showed three minutes of added time, there was still no urgency from the home side as misplaced passes and poor decision-making was the order of the day and this was certainly two points dropped for the Blues in their bid for promotion.

WATERFORD UNITED: Holden; Carey, Long, Burns, Mernagh; Mulcahy (McGrath 69), Dempsey, White, Phelan; Kiely, Maguire.

ATHLONE TOWN: Jennings; Rushe, Woods, McCarthy, Woods; Skelly (Sherlock 61), Walsh, O’Mahony, McGoldrick; Gill (McGill 46), Dunne.

Referee: Kevin O’Regan (Kerry).