Blues go down against the champions at home
Waterford FC's Maleace Asamoah goes flying through the air after the combined tackles from Shamrock Rovers' Trevor Clarke and Darragh Nugent at the RSC. Photos: Noel Browne.
Roberto Lopes came off the bench to inflict back-to-back home defeats on Waterford FC as the champions Shamrock Rovers stretched their unbeaten run to five games in their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash in front of a strong 3,681 attendance on Easter Monday at the RSC.
Lopes, who replaced the injured Lee Grace in the first-half, headed home a 71st-minute winner after the Blues had levelled through Robbie McCourt following Darragh Burns opener ten minutes into the second-half as the Blues went down fighting to the Rovers challenge.
After Blues Head Coach Keith Long made four changes to the side that lost to Sligo Rovers at the same venue three days earlier, he would have been pleased some of the game from his side, but once again, two defensive lapses proved costly at the final whistle from referee Rob Hennessy.
It was Graham Burke that cracked in the first shot of the game on four minutes when the striker tried his luck from distance, but Sam Sargeant saved before Markus Poon headed over the bar soon afterwards as the visitors were intend on striking early.
After Connor Evans flicked on a Parsons left-wing delivery to the back post on 12 minutes, the Rovers defence cleared the chaos before Richie Towell fired in a tame effort seven minutes later that Sargeant easily gathered.
There was a big chance for Aaron Greene to put the champions in front on 26 minutes when he got on the end of a fine Markus Poom left-wing cross, but the centre forward saw his glancing header in front of goal go wide of the far post.
Rovers lost defender Lee Grace through injury on 32 minutes when he was fouled by Rowan McDonald 30-yards from goal with Roberto Lopes taking his place, and Burke’s thunderous resulting free-kick flashed inches wide of Sargeant’s left-hand upright.
Ben McCormack won a brilliant tackle in the middle of the park five minutes later to set up Connor Parsons, who in turn tried to pick out the run of Padraig Amond out on the left, but the ball ran away from him, before Aaron Greene had an effort saved by Sam Sargeant at other end seconds later.
Waterford had a half-hearted penalty appeal turned down by referee Rob Hennessy on 52 minutes when Rowan McDonald’s ball out to the left saw Amond head the ball back into the area and with the Blues faithful looking for handball, the loose ball was hammered over the bar by Connor Parsons.
It was a simple long ball over the top from a set-piece that cost the home side another goal this season as Rovers struck the front three minutes later. Markus Poom played a left-wing free-kick from deep inside his own half that caught the Waterford defence out and Darragh Burns took full advantage to round Sam Sargeant before finishing to an empty net.
Waterford were level on 64 minutes when substitute Maleace Asamoah was tripped on the edge of the penalty area, and Robbie McCourt beat Leon Pohls at his near post with a deflected left-footed free-kick that brought joyous scenes from the home faithful.
But the champions regained their lead with a fine goal seven minutes later when Conan Noonan got first run down the left before putting in a pin-point cross that found the head of Roberto Lopes, who planted a header past Sam Sargeant from close-range.
Rovers boss Stephen Bradley made a triple change on 77 minutes that took the edge out of the game as they comfortably saw out the remainder of the contest as the Blues put up a brave fight, but their defensive lapses once again proved costly at the call of time.
Sargeant, Power, Forde (Arubi 81), Horton, Radkowski, McCourt (McMenamy 90), McDonald (Macadam 62), McCormack, Parsons, Evans (Asamoah 62), Amond.
Pohls, Hoare, Grace (Lopes 31), Cleary, Burns, Noonan (Clarke 77), O’Neill, Towell (Nugent 62), Poom, Greene (Dillon 77), Burke (Honohan 77).
Rob Hennessy (Dublin).
