Blues continue their pre-season campaign with victory over the Kingdom
Waterford FC players celebrate Conor Carty's goal against Kerry FC in their pre-season friendly played at workLAB Connors Park on Tuesday last. Photos: Waterford FC/Ken Sutton
Waterford FC’s pre-season campaign continued with an entertaining and informative game against Kerry FC at Connors Park, where the home side ran out as winners on a scoreline that did not underline their superiority for long periods.
From the opening whistle, the Blues looked to be organised and polished as Jon Daly continues to work towards the opening game of the season, which is now less than a fortnight away.
In contrast to the previous week’s encounter with Cork City, where the weather played a huge part, a strong wind did not seem to impact the team, where slick passing and excellent movement across the park were on display.
Kerry, to their credit, played some decent football too, despite fielding four triallists in the starting eleven with another five on the bench as they looked to formulate what will be a strong squad for the new campaign.
From the opening whistle, it was Waterford who dominated with Padraig Amond going close inside the first minute when he flicked on a Benny Couto cross, but the ball trickled outside the upright.
There was a lot of movement across the front line, with Amond, Conan Noonan, Conor Carty and Tommy Lonegan all switching positions regularly, which proved problematic for the Kerry defence, led by former Blues captain Killian Cantwell.
And it was such a sweeping move that provided the opening goal on ten minutes. Hayden Cann’s long ball found Amond in space on the right, and though his cross missed Noonan, Lonergan was on hand to drill the ball home.
The attacks were coming in waves with crosses from both flanks, and Lonergan should have had his second inside three minutes, but he elected to pass rather than shoot.
Kerry had to wait until the 15th minute to register an effort on goal, but an equaliser arrived four minutes later from the penalty spot after Alan Zborowski clipped Cian Murphy, and referee John Sconnie Walsh pointed to the spot. Murphy dusted himself off to send Arlo Doherty the wrong way and level the game.
The goal seemed to inject some confidence into the visitors, but the Waterford defence, marshalled by Cann and Ronan Mansfield, stood firm.
It was another great delivery from the flanks that brought Waterford’s second on the stroke of half-time as Noonan’s pinpoint delivery was met by a diving Carty, and he headed past Harry Halwax.
The second half started much like the first, with another wave of Waterford attacks, the best of which was a flicked effort from Lonergan, who met an Amond cross, before Kerry levelled matters on 56 minutes when some sloppy defending allowed Kerry captain Sean McGrath to waltz through before firing beyond Doherty.
However, to the home side’s credit, they reacted immediately with another sweeping move that ended with the lead being restored within two minutes.
Another cross from Amond was cleared by the Kerry defence but fell to Noonan, and his quick pass to Evan McLaughlin was matched by a left-footed effort that was drilled across Halwax and into the net.
It was no more than McLaughlin deserved for his impressive play throughout, where he linked well with Luke Heeny and provided a lot of options to the front line.
Amond himself nearly added to the tally when he was sent away with a lovely pass behind the defence, and his excellent lob over the advancing goalkeeper was, somehow, scooped away before it found the net.
A couple of decent free kicks from Finn Barrett asked questions of the Blues’ defence with Doherty called into action to palm one header over the bar.
There was one final opportunity for the visitors to rescue a draw in the last minute when Ryan Perez beat the defensive line, but he panicked a little in his one-on-one with Doherty and dragged the ball well wide of the target.
Doherty, Zborowski (Faria 74), Cann (Keane 64), Mansfield, Couto (Dempsey 64), Heeney (Coyne 84), McLaughlin, Noonan (Triallist 2 74), Amond (Triallist 1 74), Lonergan (Voilas 49), Carty (Oladiti 74)
Halwax, Barrett, Cantwell, Triallist 1, McGrath, Murphy, Triallist 2, Triallist 3, Triallist 4, Borden, Lee
John Sconnie Walsh
