'We deserved it': Cork City score twice in injury time to snatch vital victory over Waterford

Cathal O'Sullivan was key as City came from behind against their Munster rivals to end an eight game run without a win.

MASTERCLASS: Cathal O'Sullivan of Cork City celebrates after his side's victory in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Cork City and Waterford at Turners Cross in Cork. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Cork City 2 (Evan McLaughlin 88, Kitt Nelson 90+5) Waterford 1 (Thomas Lonergan 53) 

Cork City delivered a late Easter resurrection to come from behind against Waterford to win for the first time in nine matches and move off the bottom.

Trailing to Thomas Lonergan’s 53rd-minute breakthrough for at Turner’s Cross, teen Cathal O’Sullivan was the game-changer, fouled for the penalty that allowed Evan McLaughlin to equalise before teeing up Kitt Nelson to smash the winner into the top corner.

Waterford are doing their best to lure former City manager Colin Healy to the RSC to replace the sacked Keith Long and the first priority of the new boss will be to eradicate lapses like this.

THE SCENES🤩

Kitt Nelson wins it at the death for Cork City. pic.twitter.com/VPZ0DdGI6h

— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) April 21, 2025

Still, James Olayinka was inches from eking out a point with the last kick of the match which struck the crossbar but Tim Clancy was onto something when claiming the Rebels were overdue some luck.

“We’d lost four in a row so wanted to start winning matches – especially at home,” reasoned the City boss.

“The manner of this victory is really pleasing. Our players never stopped and while two late goals makes it seem we got away with one I think we deserved it. For the confidence levels, it’s a brilliant win. Now we must back that up away to Sligo on Saturday.” 

Injuries to his star strikeforce of Seáni Maguire and Ruairi Keating exposed the threadbare depth of City’s attacking options, forcing Clancy to redeploy wingers upfront since the latter’s season was ended by a ruptured Achilles 17 days ago.

Recent results sinking City to the bottom made for limited options in the free agent market and so they took a chance on Dutchman Djenairo Daniels to rectify their firepower deficit.

While only 23, his career since emerging through the ranks at PSV as an underage international had been fitful, at best. He’s endured a nomadic existence since, sampling the Italian, Canadian and Portuguese leagues without either clicking or settling.

There was no denying the physical presence of the 6’3” targetman but equally evident was his rustiness. A first aerial duel lost against Kasper Radkowski was a sign of things to come as the Pole and Andy Boyle, operating within Waterford’s back three, ably nullified his threat.

Indeed, it seemed his debut was over just past the half hour mark. His substitution signal to the bench after clutching his leg when turning was met with caution and he struggled on until the break.

“When he went down injured, I said this can’t be true and was expecting Noel Edmonds to pop out of somewhere,” joked Clancy. “His last game was in November and he took a few knocks over 65 minutes but will improve with time. We were missing that focal point.” 

Sharper finishing by O’Sullivan within just four minutes could have made his bow memorable.

From a Waterford corner, City broke with an overload and Daniels fed Alex Nolan who, in turn, released O’Sullivan on the left. He had all the goal to fire but could only swerve his left-footer over the crossbar.

O’Sullivan conjured the other City chance of note on the stroke of half-time – his first-time volley following a Charlie Lyons looped pass forcing Stephen McMullan to turn the ball out for a corner.

A stop-start first half was befitting of the teams’ lowly status. All the visitors fashioned was a header by Pádraig Amond, which uncharacteristically veered well wide of the post, yet they only had to wait eight minutes after the restart for their goal to materialise.

Navajo Bakboord, on as a substitute for the injured Trae Coyle, caught City cold with a quick throw-in but the ease with which Conan Noonan swept past two defenders near the endline was similarly concerning. Once he spotted Thomas Lonergan free inside the box, all the striker had to do was apply a touch and it was a scuffed one to prod the ball past Tein Troost.

Ryan Burke whistled a shot past the post as the Blues took confidence from a rare lead, while City's lack of punch up front was telling when Benny Couto and Darragh Crowley were whipping in crosses.

They didn’t require the direct approach as O’Sullivan’s class engineered two goals in response. Firstly, with two minutes left, he nipped in ahead of Bakboord to earn the spot-kick which McLaughlin hammered down the middle to set up a grandstand finish.

Then, with a minute of the six added remaining, O’Sullivan brushed off Radkowski in a tussle before squaring to Nelson, whose first-time rising shot found the top corner.

Seven defeats on the spin for Waterford but City up to eighth in a congested table.

CORK CITY: T Troost; M Mbeng, D Crowley, C Lyons, B Couto; G Bolger (K Nelson 65), E McLaughlin; A Nolan (J Fitzpatrick 59), S Murray, C O’Sullivan (F Anderson 90+6); D Daniels (R Shipston 65).

WATERFORD: S McMullan; G Horton, A Boyle, K Radkowski; T Coyle (N Bakboord 16), J Olayinka, C Noonan (S Glenfield 79), D McMenamy, R Burke (D Leahy 79); P Amond (M Pouwels 84), T Lonergan.

Referee: R Hennessy (Clare).

Attendance: 3365.

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