Waterford pile misery on Cork City with Munster derby win

Cathal O'Sullivan of Cork City in action against Jesse Dempsey of Waterford. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Premier Division: Waterford 2 (Sam Glenfield 21, Tommy Lonergan 36) Cork City 0 

A hot-air balloon hovered towards the RSC as Cork City’s return to the Premier Division continued to lose altitude.

Although the Munster derby victories this season were shared following comeback wins, this third was something of a stroll for Waterford earned by two first half goals.

Their triumph extends 15 points of daylight to City at the bottom and leapfrogging Galway into seventh means its John Caulfield’s side the Rebel Army are chasing.

Realistically, City’s only hope of survival is bridging the gap on Sligo Rovers to secure a playoff shot at avoiding relegation.

That’s a five-point buffer with Sligo’s game in hand against Derry City on Saturday.

Both sides were nursing defeats from last week Waterford’s a bruising 7-2 hammering at Derry City which prompted John Coleman to declare reinforcements were necessary.

He didn’t spring the club’s Fleetwood owners into transfer action but did restore Stephen McMullan as goalkeeper after the horror show suffered on Foyleside by former City stopper Brad Wade.

There was also a change in goal for the visitors as Ger Nash handed three of his four recruits first full starts.

David Odumosu operating behind the new central defensive partnership of Rory Feely and Fiacre Kelleher presented a new spine and the latter – taking the captain’s armband – led by example with early prominence in the Blues box.

Within 30 seconds, his aerial ability was evident by flicking on a long free-kick into the path of Malik Dijksteel, whose first-time shot was blocked.

A quickly-taken free kick on the right by Greg Bolger two minutes later caught Waterford napping.

Evan McLaughlin’s dash to the endline was followed by a cross which Kelleher met with a volley that he was unable to keep on target.

The bright start counted for nothing as City came unstuck from attempting to play out for the back.

A warning was fired after nine minutes when Kelleher’s pass out of his box was intercepted, triggering a counterattack led by evergreen Pádraig Amond.

Cork City boss Ger Nash with Seani Maguire as he is substituted. Pic: Ken Sutton/Inpho

His strike partner Tommy Lonergan latched onto the centre, only for his first-time flick to graze the outside of the post.

The other post was struck four minutes later when Ryan Burke was left alone from Conan Noonan’s corner to guide his header towards the unattended corner.

Waterford were in the ascendancy and their preying on Cork’s goal-kicks gained traction with the breakthrough on 21 minutes.

McLaughlin had genuine claims for a foul when he was harried by Sam Glenfield when receiving Kelleher’s pass into his feet but referee Neil Doyle disagreed. 

Once Glenfield collected the loose ball, he took one touch into the box before sending his rising shot beyond the debutant.

A chance for City to level immediately from the restart ended with the ball trickling out across the face of goal and their disappointment deepened by Bolger sustaining his latest injury on 27 minutes.

Centre-back Freddie Anderson was chosen as the substitute, the catalyst for three positional changes, concluding with Darragh Crowley redeployed from right-back to midfield.

Nothing in the reshuffle lessened the burden City felt in handling the home dynamic duo up front.

They were fortunate not to concede a penalty on the half hour mark when Odumosu floored Amond. Doyle sounded his whistle but for an offside in the build-up, a dubious call based on replays.

That only delayed the inevitable concession. 

McMullan’s route one punt from goal invited Amond to chase and his layoff enabled Grant Horton to cross for Lonergan to steer a glanced header into the top corner from eight yards.

City weren’t without their sights on goal either, just inferior in the clinical stakes. Kitt Nelson twice went close before and after the second, his first shot blocked by Ryan Burke and a long-ranger pawed away by McMullan.

That would have still led to the visitors halving the arrears two minutes before the interval but for McLaughlin clattering the rebound off the crossbar.

Try as Nash, along with his staff of David Meyler and Mark McNulty, to engineer a revival in the second half, Waterford were comfortable.

Cathal O’Sullivan, looking refreshed after being on the bench for the last three games, forced McMullan to tip over on the hour, Kelleher nodded wide while substitute Charlie Lutz saw his angled shot turned around the post for a corner.

The turnaround in City’s fortunes talked about hasn’t materialised. 

Unlike the balloon, some would say their campaign has never gotten off the ground.

WATERFORD: S McMullan; G Horton, A Boyle, D Leahy, R Burke; R McDonald (D McMenamy 83), S Glenfield (J Olayinka 45), C Noonan (B McCormack 83), K White (J Dempsey 58); P Amond, T Lonergan.

CORK CITY: D Odumosu; D Crowley, F Kelleher, R Feely (M Murray 75), M Kiernan; G Bolger (F Anderson 27), E McLaughlin; C O’Sullivan, K Nelson, M Dijksteel; S Maguire (C Lutz 64).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).

Attendance: 3,043.