Brilliant Blues earn the bragging rights in Munster Derby success
Tommy Lonergan wheels away after scoring his goal against Cork City. Photo: INPHO/Ken Sutton
First-half goals from Sam Glenfield and Tommy Lonergan steered Waterford FC to bragging rights over Cork City in their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division Munster derby clash at a sun drenched RSC in a game where goalkeeper Stephen McMullan returned to the starting team with a man of the match display.
McMullan produced a couple of outstandings saves to keep the bottom side in the division at bay as he denied Kitt Nelson and Cathal O’Sullivan as Glenfield’s stunner and Lonergan’s super header moved the Blues up to seventh spot in the division.
After Ryan Burke went close with a brilliant header to find the breakthrough on 13 minutes when heading Conan Noonan’s right-wing corner inches wide, the Blues were celebrating striking the front eight minutes later.
Defender Fiachra Kelleher tried to play a short clearance to Evan McLaughlin, who looked to have been fouled when dispossessed by Sam Glenfield, and he arrowed an unstoppable right-footed shot from 20 yards past David Odumosu.
Malik Dijksteel ghosted past three tackles out on the left with considerable ease sixty seconds later only to see his effort trickled inches wide of McMullan’s far post before Tommy Lonergan should have had penalty on 34 minutes when replays showed that he was onside when hacked down by keeper Odumosu.
The striker was celebrating doubling the Blues lead three minutes with a header of quality. Padraig Amond laid the ball back to Grant Horton, who put in a superb ball that saw Lonergan get an instinctive header on the ball that saw it loop over the head of the Cork netminder.
It was the brilliance of keeper Stephen McMullan that kept his side with their two goal cushion with a brilliant double save on 44 minutes. He firstly got down low to save a 25-yarder from Kitt Nelson before getting the faintest of touches to turn an Evan McLaughlin onto the crossbar.
McMullan was the hero on the hour mark for the Blues when Kitt Nelson turned provider for Cathal O’Sullivan, but his left-footed strike was superbly tipped over the crossbar before Charlie Lutz was also denied by the Blues netminder after cutting in from the left on 75 minutes as the hosts saw the game out with ease.
