‘My heart was in my mouth’ - Coughlan

There was relief, pride and no small amount of disbelief etched across Graham Coughlan's face as Waterford emerged from a chaotic, pulsating night at the Brandywell with a priceless 4-2 victory.

For long spells, the Blues were magnificent, storming into a three-goal lead against one of the league's toughest opponents on their own patch. Yet when Derry City mounted a trademark late comeback and suddenly threatened to wipe out all of Waterford's hard work, Coughlan could only watch on in agony.

As the final whistle finally sounded, ending a contest that had veered from dominance to drama and back again, the Waterford boss admitted he had feared the worst.

"I'll be honest, my heart was in my mouth for the last 10 minutes," Coughlan said.

"It should never have come to that. We should have been home and hosed as soon as the third goal went in. We shouldn't need a third or fourth goal. One goal, two goals should be enough to win games. We just switch off at times."

Waterford's vulnerability almost proved costly as Derry roared back into the contest, but Coughlan felt his side's defensive resilience ultimately dragged them over the line.

"I thought our back three and our defensive line were absolutely colossal tonight," he said.

"The blocks that John put in, the blocks Longy put in, every one of them was putting their body on the line. But we've got to be better. We've got to tidy ourselves up with the ball because we keep giving it away and we keep inviting pressure. Eventually, pressure tells."

As Derry sensed an unlikely escape act, the Waterford manager could feel the tension growing with every attack.

"I have to be 100 per cent honest here. I thought that was going to go 3-3 for a minute.

"I thought, 'Here we go, they'll be calling for my head in the morning.'

"But we held on. We made a couple of changes and got fresh legs on the pitch. Thankfully we got the fourth goal."

Remarkably, even the late insurance score failed to calm his nerves.

"When the fourth goal went in, I was still thinking, 'Oh no, here we go. Just blow the whistle, ref, but look I’m absolutely delighted for the players, for the football club and for the fans that travelled up here to support us tonight."

The result was all the more satisfying because it came on the back of a carefully executed gameplan. Waterford controlled possession for significant periods and denied Derry the opportunity to dictate proceedings through the middle.

Coughlan revealed that improving his side's use of the ball had been a major focus.

"We wanted to look after the ball a little bit better than we have been doing in previous weeks and previous months. That's going to take time. That's not going to happen overnight. It's going to take months and probably seasons.

"But we're slowly trying to get a little bit more control in games and I thought we had that tonight. It was a lovely surface. We wanted to keep the ball, keep our opponents away from us, buy ourselves passes and periods of possession and make them work."

The Waterford manager was particularly pleased with how diligently his players carried out his tactical instructions.

"We knew they were going to try and pass through us. We had to get our organisation and structure right, shut off those passing lines and make sure they went around us rather than through us.

"I thought the lads did that to a tee. The gameplan was excellent and they carried it out really, really well."

While Derry's quality ensured an anxious finish, Coughlan believes his squad showed exactly why they are capable of climbing away from danger.

"They're a very good team with very good players. They open teams up, create chances and they'll do that against anybody. But we've got quality players as well. We've got character, resilience and determination.

"The attitude and the application from our group, not only the lads that started but the lads that came on as well, was outstanding. They put in a hell of a shift and fair play to them."

The emotion in Coughlan's voice was unmistakable as he reflected on what the players have endured during a difficult campaign.

"There's been a lot of stress around the club. There's been a lot of anxiety and a lot of worry. The lads understand what it means to the city, to the county, to the supporters and to everybody who works at this football club.

"They've shown real maturity. They've shown accountability and responsibility to stick with it and buy into what we're doing."

Then came perhaps the most telling line of the night.

"I'm really, really proud of them. I don't even tell my kids I'm proud of them, so they're getting a little pat on the back from me tonight."

Back-to-back away victories have transformed the mood around the club, and Coughlan insists Waterford's ambitions must stretch far beyond merely avoiding relegation.

"I don't think this is a bottom-of-the-table group of players," he said.

"I think they're far better than that and should be in a far better position in the league.

"Hopefully getting off the bottom relieves a little bit of pressure and anxiety, but that's all it is — a start. Any team that comes to the Brandywell and scores four goals has got to be half decent."

But as celebrations broke out in the away dressing room, Coughlan was already demanding more.

"Let's get rid of that relegation nonsense and that second-from-bottom nonsense. Let's not accept that. Let's be better. Let's want more. I'm delighted we've answered a few critics tonight, but let's not be a club that's happy because we're off the bottom of the table.

"Let's start talking about bigger and better things."

For one breathless, nerve-shredding night at the Brandywell, Waterford showed exactly why their manager believes they are capable of doing just that. In a season defined by frustration and pressure, this felt like more than three points. It felt like a statement — and if Coughlan is right, perhaps the beginning of something much bigger.