Lone Hickey strike inflicts latest Galway defeat on Blues
Eamonn Deacy Park proved an unlucky hunting ground once again for the Blues tonight. Photo: Galway United.
Waterford FC suffered another lone goal defeat in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division as a first-half strike from Galway United’s Patrick Hickey gave the hosts a narrow 1-0 win over Keith Long’s side at Eamonn Deacy Park.
After playing second fiddle to the home side in the first-half, the Blues did give things a go in the second-half, but it was their inability to deal with a 23rd minute long throw that proved to be their downfall at the call of time.
After forcing the Waterford defence into a couple of rash moments of defending, the home side did create a chance on ten minutes. Ed McCarthy sent in a left-wing cross that found Stephen Walsh, but he couldn’t direct his header on target before Sam Sargeant saved a Patrick Hickey header a minute later.
With the Blues failing to really get into the game in the opening quarter, they found themselves falling behind on 23 minutes. McCarthy’s long throw from the right was touched down by Rob Slevin for Patrick Hickey, and he hammered the ball from close-range.
A flurry of yellow cards were to follow from an over fussy Damien MacCraith in a game that failed to sparkle at all before Waterford’s only moment in the first-half arriving on 44 minutes.
Ben McCormack played the ball down the right for Connor Evans laid the ball to Padraig Amond only for the centre forward to see his right-footed strike from 14 yards come crashing back off the underside of the crossbar with keeper Brendan Clarke beaten.
Connor Parsons could have done better with a chance that came his way seconds into the second-half when he peeled to the near post to receive a cross from Amond, but he failed to trouble keeper Clarke.
There was a half chance that came the way of Dean McMenamy on 55 minutes when he got on the end of a Darragh Leahy through ball down the left-side before bringing it onto his right-foot, but his low effort saw Clarke get down to save.
Leahy nearly capitalised on a rare mistake in the Galway defence four minutes later as Jeannot Esua failed to clear his line that allowed the skipper to crack in an angled effort, but Brendan Clarke was equal to the task.
Galway nearly doubled their lead from another long throw on 74 minutes when McCarthy’s delivery from the right was touched onto the back post, but Garry Buckley couldn’t direct his effort on target.
New signing Sam Bellis picked up a daft flicked pass from Ben McCormack out on the right three minutes later before putting a teasing ball to the front post, but Amond’s effort was blocked out for a Robbie McCourt delivery that Grant Horton headed wide.
There was another chance for Waterford as they piled on the pressure in the bid to get an equalising goal with Dean McMenamy firing in a shot ten minutes from time that Clarke also kept out.
Darragh Power found himself in acres of space in the area to take a pass from Ben McCormack on 82 minutes, but his goalbound effort was blocked before Gbemi Arubi had an effort blocked late on as Waterford ran out of ideas in another Galway defeat.
