Lonergan and Dempsey strike gold for Waterford FC in survival bid
Tommy Lonergan celebrates a goal.
The Matt Lawlor effect struck gold for Waterford FC once again in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division as second-half goals from Tommy Lonergan and Jesse Dempsey gave the Blues a massive win over Drogheda United in their bid for survival at the RSC.
Lonergan netted his seventh of the season with 56 minutes on the clock before Dempsey scored his first senior goal for the club when drilling home a second goal in injury-time as Lawlor received a standing ovation from the Blues faithful at the final whistle.
The home side had a strong penalty appeal waved away inside four minutes when central defender Ronan Mansfield went down under a challenge from a Drogheda player, but referee Aaron O’Dowd waved play on with replays suggesting it was the wrong call from the Dublin official.
Drogheda had a couple of half-chances to get their noses in front as the half wore on, with Josh Thomas playing the ball back for Ryan Brennan on the top of the area just past the half-hour mark, but he blazed high over the bar.
Blues keeper Stephen McMullan made a smart save to keep the Louth outfit at bay on 54 minutes when Josh Thomas got the better of Kyle White in a battle of possession on the top of the area, but his low effort arrowed for the near post, saw the netminder get down to keep out the shot.
Tommy Lonergan had the RSC rocking as he broke the deadlock for the hosts two minutes later when the centre forward, on his return to the starting eleven, peeled off his marker at the back post to get his head on the end of a brilliant Kyle White cross to beat Drogheda keeper Luke Dennison.
Blues keeper Stephen McMullan made a fantastic save to deny the visitors an equalising goal seven minutes later when substitute Jack Stretton got in behind the defence on the right, but he was denied by a fine close-range save.
Andrew Quinn missed a golden chance to draw Drogheda level with 87 minutes on the clock when the number four arrived unmarked at the back post to meet a Paul Doyle right-wing free-kick, but his header went inches wide of the target with McMullan beaten.
With six minutes of added time indicated by the fourth official, the home side secured a big three points in their relegation battle when Jesse Dempsey found himself in space on the left, and he drilled a low left-footed shot past keeper Dennison as his side secured the win.
McMullan; Horton, Radkowski, Mansfield, Burke; White (Dempsey 73), Olayinka, McMenamy; Lonergan (Coyle 81), Noonan (Smith 90), Amond.
Dennison; Lambe, Quinn, Keeley (Heeney 68), Bolger (Oluwa 76); Kane, Brennan (Doyle 68), Farrell (Stretton 68), Markey, Kareem (Davis 56), Thomas.
Aaron O’Dowd (Dublin).
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