Luke Turner ensures St Pats inflict more misery on winless Waterford

Turner netted twice although his first goal may need to be checked by the dubious goals panel.

STILL WINLESS: Waterford manager Jon Daly during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

Waterford 0 St Pats 2

The dubious goal panel may have to decide whether St. Patrick’s Athletic defender Luke Turner will be credited with both goals as his side overcame a disappointing Waterford challenge in their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash at the RSC.

He certainly scored the second when heading home from close range to ensure that Aidan Keena’s curling effort found the net, but the replays may deny him the brace as his header took a wicked deflection off Blues defender Hayden Cann for the first-half opener against the hapless hosts.

After the returning John Mahon cleared an effort from Sean Hoare off the line on 22 minutes, the breakthrough arrived for the visitors just six minutes later as Jason McClelland’s cross was headed goalwards by Luke Turner, but the final touch came off luckless Blues defender Hayden Cann.

The second half was less than a minute old when the home side could have levelled. Hayden Cann’s route one ball saw defender Hoare misjudge his attempted header back to keeper Anang, which saw Heeney latch onto the loose ball, but he blazed wide of the near post.

Kian Leavy nearly doubled the lead on 54 minutes when the attacker took a pass from Jason McClelland on the top of the penalty area, but his cracking left-footed effort was finger-tipped over the bar by keeper McMullan.

The tricky number ten danced a jig down the Waterford right flank on the hour mark, only to be denied by a super Stephen McMullan save, and when the rebound fell nicely on the left foot of substitute Aidan Keena, he curled an effort inches wide of the far post.

Kenny’s side doubled the lead on 70 minutes. Aidan Keena took a pass from Leavy on the left side of the penalty area before arrowing a shot that seemed destined for the far corner of the net, but Luke Turner made sure of the ba;; when heading home from close range.

Padraig Amond had a goal ruled out for offside two minutes later, before a string of Stephen McMullan saves to deny Darragh Nugent, Joe Redmond and the impressive Aidan Keena kept the scoring at just two as the wait for a Waterford win continues.

WATERFORD: McMullan; Cann, Mahon, Mansfield; Zborowski (Houston 74), Heeney (Voilas 63), Glenfield (McMenamy 46), Noonan, Couto; Lonergan (Carty 74), Amond.

ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Anang; Brown, Redmond (Grivosti 90), Hoare, Turner; Leavy, Nugent (Bartley 90), Baggley, McClelland (Breslin 90); Edmondson (Mata 64), Palmer (Keena 55).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).