Waterford have far too much for Malahide United
GOOD VANTAGE POINT: Malahide United vs Waterford. A steward watches the game. Pic: INPHO/Evan Treacy
A first-half blitz at non-league Malahide United on Saturday ensured Waterford cruised into Tuesday’s FAI Cup quarter-final draw.
The Leinster Senior League outfit spoke pre-match about the odd goal or two being the difference but they were four behind at Gannon Park just past the half hour mark.
Waterford, third in the First Division and all but assured of entry to the playoffs in October, didn’t have to rely on the superior fitness of a full-time outfit for they got the job done early and efficiently.
Danny Searle could afford to withdraw a few of his mainstays in preparation for Friday’s south-east derby against Wexford, who pushed Dundalk to extra-time in Friday’s cup tie.
Phoenix Patterson spurned the chance of a fourth minute breakthrough by springing the offside trap but firing inches wide of the post.
Shane Griffin showed him the way three minutes later, latching onto Niall O’Keeffe’s through ball to hook the ball over the advancing Dylan McNulty.
Within 90 seconds, a rout was developing.
Roland Idowu was allowed the time and space to pick his spot by lashing in the second from 20 yards.
It was an unlucky 13th minute for Malahide when Colm Deasy miscontrolled a right wing cross, enabling Wassim Aouachria to pounce by lifting the stray ball over McNulty high into the net.
Mark Brennan had the hosts’ first shot in anger on 15 when blazing over and McNulty denied Aouachria from close range with an instinctive save.
Malahide, with a sprinkling of former League of Ireland players in their ranks, found the going tough and went into their dressing room further in arrears.
Switching off from a quickly taken free-kick on 31 proved costly, for Griffin teed up Patterson to rifle his low drive from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.
It was damage limitation thereafter but the Blues were content to operate keep-ball, using the lush, wide pitch to tire their hosts.
Power popped up from a Patterson corner to bundle Killian Cantwell’s flick-on home and French-born Aouachria concluded the stroll in the sun by sweeping into the top corner at the second attempt from eight yards.
D McNulty; C Deasy, J McGlynn (K Melling 54) K Healy, G Daly (C Timmins 64); M Brennan (J Doyle 54), G Craven, D Cashin; S Simpson (E Pierce 64), K O’Callaghan, C McGahon (J Albanda 77).
P Martin; T Sobowale (H Warren 83), K Cantwell, R Taylor (D Larkin 52), D Power; S Griffin, N O’Keeffe (Y En-Neyah 52), R Idowu (R Akachukwu 72); P Patterson, J Quitirna (O Oseni 83), W Aouachria.
David Dunne (Dublin).
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