Amond double helps Waterford beat Bohs and ease relegation troubles
Pádraig Amond of Waterford celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Waterford FC eased themselves out of the bottom two in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division for the first time since February with a well-deserved and comprehensive victory over Bohemians at a sunny RSC.
And it was the master and the student who undid the Gypsies as Padraig Amond and Tommy Lonergan combined to rip open the Bohs defence with a little help from Benny Couto who covered every blade of grass in his best performance in a blue shirt this season.
Graham Coughlan was forced into one change from the side that defeated Shelbourne with Noah Mawene replacing the injured Will Johnson and the new signing justified the manager’s faith with a solid display in the midfield.
From the opening whistle, the home side tore into the visitors who found themselves with little space to operate. It was frantic but the energy of the Blues inspired the 2766 crowd and they were on their feet from the start.
Conan Noonan provided Lonergan with his first opportunity after just eight minutes when he slipped the ball through to the league’s top scorer, but his radar was off and the shot was scuffed wide.
And Evan McLaughlin also asked questions a minute later when his long-range effort flashed just wide of the target.
The opening goal arrived on 21 minutes when Couto’s long throw into a crowded goalmouth was headed back towards him and he then floated a wonderful cross to the back post where Lonergan rose highest to head past Paul Walters.
As Waterford continued to press forward looking for a second, Walters denied Amond when he spread himself well after the Blues’ skipper was put through by Mawene, but he was left ruing a failed clearance a minute later when his attempted punch of a Couto long throw bounced off Amond and the striker chested it to the empty net.
Bohemians were rocked a minute before the break when Amond secured his second of the game as he met an inswinging Couto corner at the back post and his header bounced off Walters and into the net.
Reynolds rang the changes at the break with Ross Tierney, Sadou Diallo and Senan Mullen coming in for Darragh Power, Douglas James Taylor and Niall Morahan and it was Tierney who made an impact for the visitors. His incisive passing troubled the home side and he came close to pulling one back when he headed goalwards just after the hour but McMullan somehow touched the ball onto the post and it was cleared.
But his long-range effort 19 minutes from time gave the visitors hope when McMullan could only parry the ball into the path of Dayle Rooney who slotted home.
Try as they might Bohemians searched for another but a colossal performance from the home side ensured another memorable victory that extended their unbeaten run to seven in all competitions.
McMullan, Houston, Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto, Mawene, Noonan (McMenamy 90+1'), McLaughlin (Heeney 90+1'), Amond (Voilas 87'), Lonergan
Walters, Morahan (Tierney 46'), Flores (Parsons 68'), Vaughan (Strods 79'), Whelan, Rooney, Hickey, Power (Mullen 46'), James Taylor (Diallo 46'), Todd, Byrne
Kevin O Sullivan (Cork)
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