Cool Blues cruise into play-off final

Waterford United 1 Longford Town 1

Following their 2-0 win at Flancare Park, Paul O’Brien’s side were in cruise control when Peter Higgins put the home side 3-0 ahead on aggregate last night, although Waterford native Alan Kirby’s last-minute finish at least gave the visitors something to cheer about.

After netting within 39 seconds in the first leg at Flancare Park, it took the Blues nine minutes to find the breakthrough here, when Peter Keegan laid the ball into the path of Seani Maguire and although Longford keeper Craig Hyland saved, Higgins was on hand to place the loose ball into the net from 14 yards.

Higgins went close to doubling his side’s lead after 35 minutes when Keegan headed the ball down for the right-winger and after getting the better of his marker, his low right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area was well held by the Longford keeper.

The visitors forced an amazing 10 corners by the 37th minute, with Willo McDonagh having a header deflected out by Seamus Long before Packie Holden did superbly well to punch a couple of balls clear as Longford tried to get themselves back into the tie.

Holden came to his side’s rescue less than three minutes later when Keith Gillespie sent in a ball to the danger area that found the head of Noel Haverty but his close-range effort was brilliantly kept out by the keeper — with the Longford player picking up a yellow card for his follow-up challenge.

The miss of the year award for the 2012 season without doubt would be handed to Paul Phelan as the winger missed an absolute sitter to put the game out of the reach of Longford with less than 43 seconds of the second half played.

Maguire did well in his own half to lay the ball into the path of Gary Dempsey and when he sent Keegan clear down the right channel, the striker put the ball on a plate for Phelan but he somehow managed to blaze wide with the goal at his mercy.

Waterford were reduced to 10 men on 50 minutes by referee Keith Callanan, as he produced a straight red card to sub Seamus Long when he seemed to win the ball in a tackle on Austin Skelly, much to the dismay of the home faithful.

Maguire nearly put the final nail in the Longford Town coffin on 87 minutes when he latched onto a through ball from Dempsey but defender Willo McDonagh got in a super block.

In the final minute the visitors got a consolation to grab a draw on the night. Noel Haverty whipped in a cross that was flicked on by former Blues player Karl Bermingham for Alan Kirby, who touched home at the back post.

Waterford now face Dundalk in a two-legged final with the first leg at Oriel Park next Tuesday.

WATERFORD UNITED: Holden; Mulcahy (Long 11), Breen, Burns, Frost; Higgins, White (Ryan 70), Dempsey, Phelan (Doherty 90); Maguire, Keegan.

LONGFORD TOWN: Hyland; Haverty, Hope, McDonagh, Lee; Gillespie (Kirby 68), Salmon, Bailey, Crawley; Skelly (Griffiths 68), Purdy (Bermingham 59) Referee: Keith Callanan (Cork).