Life after Duff begins for Shels as Woods brace ensures share of the spoils with Waterford

SHARE OF THE SPOILS: Harry Wood ensured a share of the spoils with Waterford as life after Damien Duff begins. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Waterford 2 (Horton 8', Amond 48') Shelbourne (Wood 3', 49') 

Harry Wood scored a brace as life after Damien Duff began with a share of the spoils for Shelbourne after a titanic battle with Waterford FC in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division at the RSC.

The man who gave Duff his finest moment at Shels with the winner that won them the league title against Derry last season popped up with an equalising goal seconds after Padraig Amond had put the hosts in front early in the second-half.

A whirlwind 36 hours for the Tolka Park club saw Joey O’Brien take over as interim manager and he was on the edge of the touchline like his predecessor, dishing out the orders as a dramatic start to both halves was the tale of this encounter, but he could have been celebrating seven minutes into added time.

O’Brien proclaimed in his post-match interview that it was a “mad 24 hours” and that the players were “shocked” by Duff’s departure early on Sunday morning, but that his players were “paid professionals”, and it was Daniel Kelly who nearly won him his first game in the hotseat only to rattle the bar.

Life after their former manager was only three minutes old when they struck the front. Tyreke Wilson found space for himself down the left before putting in a ball that saw Mipo Adubeko get the slightest of touches that took the ball into the path of Wood at the back post, and he squeezed the ball past keeper Stephen McMullan.

The madness continued on the field of play five minutes later as Shels gifted their hosts an equalising goal. McMullan’s long clearance was touched back to Kameron Ledwidge, who was on his knees when leaving a header back to Conor Kearns short as Grant Horton nipped in between defender and keeper to finish to an empty net.

An incredible start to the first-half was bettered by a kamikaze start to the second. Within three minutes, the champions were the cause of their own downfall again as they fell behind. Paddy Barrett’s clearance off Conan Noonan saw his shot parried by Conor Kearns, but Padraig Amond was on hand to finish the rebound from close-range.

Sixty seconds later, and Joey O’Brien was celebrating an equaliser. Mark Coyle raced through the heart of the Waterford middle unchallenged before spraying the ball out for Ali Coote, who put in a teasing delivery, and Wood was on hand to touch home.

There was time for more drama in the seventh added minute of five as the impressive Wood burst from midfield to slip the ball out wide right for Daniel Kelly, who let fly with a thunderous strike, but his effort came crashing back off the crossbar with McMullan beaten to the sound of the final whistle.

Waterford FC: McMullan; Horton (McCormack 84), McDonald (White 84), Leahy, Burke, Dempsey (Boyle 62); Lonergan, Olayinka, Glenfield (McMenamy 72), Noonan; Amond.

Shelbourne FC: Kearns; Gannon, Barrett, Wilson (Norris 62), Ledwidge; Lunney, Wood, Coyle (Chapman 74), Coote (Boyd 74); Adubeko (Martin 86), Caffrey (Kelly 62).

Referee: Declan Toland (Athlone)