Tommy Lonergan's leveller sees Waterford frustrate Shelbourne on opening night
LONERGAN LEVELS: Tommy Lonergan celebrates after scoring his side's equaliser. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile.
Stephen Bradley sitting in the stand was the happiest manager at the RSC after fancied Shelbourne failed to build on their first-half dominance.
It was only after Tommy Lonergan cancelled out John Martin’s opener that Joey O’Brien’s unleashed new signings Will Jarvis and Ricardo Freitas for the last half hour, but Waterford were the team pushing for the winner at the death.
Midweek downpours relenting in the south-east ensured the game went ahead with a pitch inspection and players couldn’t complain about the pitch condition on opening night.
Changes in personnel from last year reflected their contrasting fortunes.
Whereas Shels included in their starting line-up just one of their arrivals, six-figure capture Odhrán Casey, Waterford’s team showed seven new faces from the squad that required a playoff to avoid relegation.
They also had a new manager in Jon Daly, who was honest enough to admit the overhaul demanded a degree of trial and error.
When the early exchanges of the second half didn’t yield a material upturn on a sluggish opening 45 minutes, three of his recruits were whipped off.
In fact, it was the cohort of players retained from last year that helped claw their way back into this contest when it appeared they would be overrun.
Stephen McMullan in goal kept the Blues in the game when the pressure came, either side of the opener, while another player with a connection to their mothership Fleetwood Town, Tommy Lonergan, supplied the equaliser 10 minutes into the second half.
Conan Noonan was the provider, and he looked every bit worth the €50,000 paid to Shamrock Rovers for his permanent signing with a series of telling interventions.
Club owner Jamie Pilley, who stepped into the role after his father Andy was jailed for fraud in 2023, was in town for the occasion, flanking Daly at a fans forum on the eve of the game.
“Some of the teams in Europe are splashing the cash,” he told WRL, clearly including their visitors.
“We’re really pleased with the business we've done and think we've signed one of the best players in the league in Conan Noonan.”
Pilley may have to contend with some early fines for the pre-match flares that engulfed the main stand in smoke but once underway his Blues team started very much like a bunch of new players.
That, in fairness, was due to Shels extending the form they displayed in a season that ran until December 18 due to their involvement in the Conference League phase.
John Martin’s contribution to that run probably explained why he got the nod over alternative newcomers, and he was lively up top.
His glanced header after 12 minutes fell to Dan Kelly, who slipped on the greasy surface when slicing off target, but the Waterford local was ruthless a minute later.
Kelly’s left-wing cross wasn’t cleared by Waterford, allowing Kerr McInroy to have a stab from the edge of the box. Despite that being blocked, Conor Carty’s attempted clearance was misdirected to Mipo Odubeko. His audacious overhead attempt didn’t connect but the loose ball was swept home from six yards by the alert Martin.
There was little for Waterford’s front duo to work off. Even their first sniff of an attack from a free kick on the half hour was wasted and they were fortunate going in at the break trailing by the narrowest of margins.
Daly’s action accrued a reaction, revitalising a home crowd of 3.232 that had been quietened by the threat of Harry Wood slaloming through their defence without adding a second.
Lonergan’s shove on Casey on his way to testing Wessel Speel demonstrated their intent and once Noonan was afforded scope to create from a set-piece, Shels were serrated.
His delicious free kick from the left was telegraphed with pinpoint accuracy by the striker, who dashed to the near post and headed high into the net despite the Dutchman getting a hand on the effort.
Wood, and shortly after him, Freitas curled efforts wide as Shels sought to swiftly retake the lead but it was the hosts that bossed the chance count towards the finale.
With seven minutes left, Noonan fizzed a low left footer wide with Speel but the ‘keeper did well to thwart Lonergan as the clock ticked into stoppage time.
Earliest of days but Shamrock Rovers, without kicking a ball, can be pleased with the opening night.
S McMullan; L Heeney, J Mahon, H Cann, B Couto; C Noonan, C Barrett (S Glenfield 52), E McLaughlin (T Coyle 52), C Carty (J Voilas 52); T Lonergan, P Amond.
W Speel; O Casey, P Barrett, K Ledwidge; M Mbeng (S Gannon 80), K McInroy, J Henry-Francis, H Wood (M Lundgren 80), D Kelly (W Jarvis 65); J Martin (R Freitas 65), M Odubeko (S Boyd 84).
Lucas Keating (Cork) Attendance: 3,232.
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