Waterford set up UCD clash after playoff win over Galway
IN FORM: Wassim Aouachria, centre, of Waterford celebrates after scoring his side's second goal with teammates Tunmise Sobowale, left, and Junior Quitirna during the SSE Airtricity League First Division play-off final match between Waterford and Galway United at Markets Field in Limerick. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Twelve months on from last year’s promotion/relegation playoff, Waterford and UCD will again face off next Friday for a place in next year’s Premier Division.
Students boss Andy Myler was at the Markets Field to watch the Blues demolish Galway and emerge from the First Division mire fully intent on reclaiming the berth they relinquished to the Students on a controversial night at Richmond Park.
Waterford are in a for more stable place than that chaotic week of Marc Bircham’s sacking and have two-goal hero Junior Quitirna in flying form.
Wassim Aouachria was also on the scoresheet in between to push them into a two-goal interval lead.
After almost allowing a three-goal first-leg cushion to disintegrate last Saturday, Danny Searle reverted to the starting team that beat Treaty United so convincingly at the same Limerick venue.
John Caulfield, meanwhile, couldn’t find a place in his line-up for either Rob Manley or Mikey Rowe despite both coming off the bench to score in Sunday’s mauling of Longford Town.
Galway had marginally shaded the four meetings of the sides during the regulation season, winning two, while losing and drawing another apiece, and they were sticking to their strengths for this one where only victory mattered.
Inside the first minute, their reputation for being heavily set-piece dependent was evidenced from a long throw-in. The arms of Killian Broader and Conor McCarthy were tired by the end.
Waterford themselves are no slouches at maximising deadball opportunities and sped ahead from one after 10 minutes.
Adam Thomas got himself into all sorts of trouble 25 yards out, needlessly tugging the sleeve of Aouachria to concede a free.
When Waterford’s two lethal wingers, Phoenix Patterson and Junior, stood over the ball near the right side of the box, the latter touched the ball to his teammate, allowing him to have the first pot at goal.
Conor Kearns, flawless all season for United, must have had too much time to think, for he let a routine strike squirm through his hands and inside the near post.
Galway, so adept at defending leads, would have to mount a fightback to preserve their promotion prospects and they went about it with the trademark tactic of hurling crosses into the box.
Max Hemmings was first to whip in a delivery on 22 minutes but it carried too much power for the onrushing McCarthy to connect at the far post.
Then came the interlude that nobody expected, apart from the Waterford fans who feared for it since their last visit to the venue nine days ago.
The sight of Gardai on the pitch approaching the referee triggered all sorts of conspiracies but it was the safety of Waterford fans housed in the stand behind the goal that spelt trouble.
Structural damage was the reason aired over the speakers for evacuating the area, meaning the Blues faithful – as the ‘away’ team in a neutral ground – were relocated to the grassy verge opposite the main stand.
Quite embarrassing scenes for the FAI delegation sitting in the main stand, especially when Waterford fans received assurances by email from Abbotstown in midweek about maintenance upgrades.
Five minutes later and play resumed in familiar fashion, with Waterford absorbing crosses.
Blues centre-back Killian Cantwell was in the right place to prevent Manley – on for the injured David Hurley – from nodding home from close-range.
From one end to the other, the game swung further in Waterford’s favour.
Six minutes into the eight added on, Aouachria capitalised on the failure of last man Hemmings to clear by barging clear and tucking a shot straight through Kearns and into the net.
A simple finish but a move initiated by the Algerian striker winning an aerial challenge in his own box and latching onto Shane Griffin’s long punt.
Chasing a two-goal deficit, John Caulfield’s side had to go for it and came close on 52 minutes when Stephen Walsh’s header from a Conor McCormack free-kick rebounded off the upright.
Patterson fired wildly wide of the near post from a Junior pass and it might have haunted Searle’s side had Galway’s top scorer Walsh been more clinical.
Tunmise Sobowale’s rash challenge on Ronan Manning with 12 minutes left presented the striker the chance of notching his 19th goal of the season but Paul Martin dived full stretch to push the effort away.
Waterford never looked back, their two finest talents combining again three minutes later. Junior’s pace from a Patterson pass sent him clear to drill a shot inside the near post of Kearns.
C Kearns; M Hemmings, J Finnerty, K Broader, C O’Keefe (W Waweru 82); C McCormack, A Thomas (M Rowe 62); R Manning (C Lyons 82), D Hurley (R Manley 35), E McCarthy (B Hery 62); S Walsh.
P Martin; T Sobowale (Timi Sobowale 82), K Cantwell, A Baptiste, D Power; N O’Keefe, S Griffin; J Quitirna, Y En-Neyah (D Larkin 85), P Patterson; W Aouachria (R Uche 82).
Alan Patchell (Dublin).
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