Waterford come from behind against Bray Wanderers to secure Premier Division status
JOB DONE: Waterford interim head coach Matty Lawlor celebrates. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.
Golden boot winner Pádraig Amond wasn’t required to provide the firepower to ensure Waterford preserved their Premier Division status by coming from behind to beat Bray Wanderers.
Conor Knight’s seventh minute goal had the First Division outfit drifting their thoughts towards a return to the top-flight they last tasted in 2018 but the Premier class of Conan Noonan and substitute Sam Glenfield told with a goal in each half.
Both teams ended the contest with 10 men after substitute Navajo Bakboord retaliated to a late tackle by Harvey Warren that saw the Bray defender also incur a straight red card.
After Cork City’s relegation, Waterford will fly the Munster flag in the 2026 top tier.
Survival is a relief for Waterford’s Fleetwood owners sitting in the Tolka Park directors box as their multi-million investment hasn’t accrued the benefits anticipated when they added the Blues to their multi-club stable three years ago.
Chairman Jamie Pilley, son of jailed benefactor Andy, was on the pitch at the conclusion taking the plaudits from fans.
Having begun the season on a flyer, a run of six losses led to manager Keith Long being sacked in April. John Coleman, despite signing a long-term contract, only lasted until September.
Caretaker boss Matt Lawlor, along with former Ireland U21 winger Mark Yeates, fulfilled their remit of avoiding the drop. Only a second win in 12 games for Waterford, yet deliverance.
It’s anticipated the owners will push to entice Sligo Rovers chief John Russell to the south-east.
Waterford were in the same position as Bray two years ago, nicking Cork’s top-flight spot by coming from behind to beat them.
Again, they trailed here but replicated the pattern by battling back to equalise but needed extra-time to pocket the winner.
Had his dreams been realised, Billy O’Neil would be in Qatar representing Ireland U17s at the World Cup.
His exclusion after featuring along the qualification path was the controversial call by Colin O’Brien as the Bray hierarchy fully expected to be without the nippy winger once their season prolonged into the playoff.
That was the case but for the strangest of reasons. Despite bulging his goal haul to 11 with a hat-trick against Kerry, he was sent off by referee Alan Patchell while being substituted. Bray’s pleas were ignored, seeing the 17-year-old slapped with a three-match ban.
That ruled him out of the First Division stage of the playoffs, two legs against UCD and the one-off over Treaty United, but he jetted back from a holiday in the US to make himself available for this decider.
Paul Heffernan opted for continuity by keeping O’Neill in reserve but he made his presence felt when introduced as the first substitute 12 minutes into the second half.
At that stage the game was in the balance, crying out for a decisive piece of brilliance.
Bray, watched by their new American owners David Goldstein, JB Gough, and Malachy Burke, had roused their boisterous support on the Riverside with an early breakthrough.
Max Murphy’s crossfield pass allowed Knight to cut inside Kyle White and the brother of Ireland midfielder Jason angled his shot into the bottom corner.
A mental lapse off a set-piece by the Seagulls caused the leveller on the half hour. Noonan’s quick corner to Dean McMenamy resulted in the latter backheeling the ball for the Shamrock Rovers loanee to lash his shot into the far corner through a thicket of players.
By the hour mark, Waterford bossed the corner count 10-0 and they grabbed the winner 16 minutes from full-time. It was a cracker too as Glenfield glided away from Sean Brennan and Cian Doyle to smash his low 20-yard shot beyond Jimmy Corcoran.
Stephen McMullan at the other end came alive to push Justin Ferizaj’s curler around the post but there was sufficient nous to Waterford, led by 37-year-old Amond, to retain their berth.
J Corcoran; A Kizenga (J Ferizaj 84), K Cantwell, H Warren, M Murphy; C Doyle, R Bartley (R Knight 75); S Brennan (G Almiral 84), C Knight (B O’Neill 57), J Ferizaj; C Curtis.
S McMullan; G Horton, D Leahy, R Burke; M Smith (N Bakboord 79), J Olayinka, D McMenamy (S Glenfield 60), K White; C Noonan, T Lonergan (M Faal 85); P Amond.
Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork).
3,648.
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