Keith Long suffers first defeat in charge of Waterford

The Blues were beaten 1-0 at home by Wexford on Monday afternoon.

FIRST DEFEAT: Waterford head coach Keith Long during the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division match between Treaty United and Waterford at Markets Field in Limerick. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Waterford 0 Wexford 1

There was Bank Holiday Monday Blues for Waterford as they suffered their first defeat under new Head Coach Keith Long.

Wexford made it back-to-back wins over the second placed side in the SSE Airtricity First Division from their last two visits to the RSC thanks to a lone Aaron Dobbs goal for a result that will be celebrated by John Caulfield and his Galway side.

After a pedestrian opening 45 minutes from the home side that lacked tempo and intensity, Dobbs headed home the only goal of the contest on eight minutes as James Keddy’s side frustrated a Blues team that were wasteful in front of goal when chances did come.

A bright start from the hosts saw Roland Idowu cracked in a shot from the top of the penalty area on seven minutes, but his effort was saved by former player Noel Heffernan before the match winner arrived a mere sixty seconds later.

Darragh Levingston slipped the ball out to the left for Brandon McCann, who got first run on defender Tunmise Sobowale, before crossing to the back post where Aaron Dobbs planted a close-range header past a helpless Paul Martin.

A frustrated home faithful watched their side lack intensity to their play in the first-half, but it was much better at the start of the second 45 minutes. Coughlan took a pass out on the right from Roland Idowu, but his shot whistled wide of the far post.

Ronan Coughlan got on the end of Dean McMenamy’s right-wing free at the back post on 59 minutes, but his header was inches wide before another chance arrived five minutes later. Idowu fed Connor Parsons free down the right, and his teasing cross into the centre saw Coughlan’s touch go wide of the far post.

Waterford huffed and puffed in a bid to try get an equalising goal, but Wexford stood firm as whilst there was boos in the direction of referee Daniel Murphy at the call of time after some strange decision-making, the Blues didn’t do themselves any favours with some of their play.

WATERFORD: Paul Martin, Tunmise Sobowale (Wassim Aouachria ’83), Giles Phillips, Dean Larkin, Barry Baggley, Niall O’Keeffe, Connor Parsons, Dean McMenamy (Eddie Nolan ’67), Roland Idowu, Ronan Coughlan, Chris Conn-Clarke (Thomas Oluwa ’60).

WEXFORD: Noel Heffernan, Reece Webb, Ethan Boyle, Matt Dunne, Ben Lynch, Karl Chambers (Aaron Doran ’70), Darragh Levingston, Corban Piper, Brandon McCann (Hugh Douglas ’79), Aaron Dobbs (Jordan Adeyemo ’54), Kian Corbally (Conor Levingston ’79).

Referee: Daniel Murphy (Dublin).