Playoff awaits for the Blues after final day draw with Galway
Waterford FC's Padraig Amond steers his back post header past Galway United goalkeeper James Clare to score the equalising goal in the first half during their SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division clash at the RSC. Photo: Noel Browne
Waterford FC have been condemned to the dreaded SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division relegation/promotion playoff final after failing to pick up the win that they needed after a 1-1 draw against Galway United played in front of a crowd of 3,211 at the RSC on Saturday evening last.
Despite having the lion’s share of the possession in the second-half after Padraig Amond’s header brought the sides level, the Blues couldn’t find a winner to secure their Premier status and now they’ll face in Friday’s final to ensure top flight football in 2026.
The Blues made two changes to the side that drew with St. Pat’s as the suspended Grant Horton returned in place of Navajo Bakboord and Kyle White coming back into the team for Jessie Dempsey as the Blues started the game with a bag of nerves.
After a tentative opening with the visitors shading possession, the big breakthrough came for John Caulfield’s side on 16 minutes. Aaron Bolger played a quick free to David Hurley, who sent in a dangerous right-wing cross to the centre for Stephen Walsh, who found the corner with a neat header.
Waterford keeper Stephen McMullan produced a top save four minutes later to keep his side in the tie when Jeannot Esua whipped over a right-wing cross that broke to Robert Burns just inside the penalty area, but his stinging left-footed strike was well kept out.
The home side had their first opportunity on 29 minutes when clever-thinking from Conan Noonan saw hm pick out Tommy Lonergan, who got behind the Galway defence on the right, but his angled effort was saved by the feet of keeper Brendan Clarke.
It was the crossbar that denied the visitors a second goal three minutes later when Patrick Hickey’s goalbound effort was blocked into the path of goalscorer Walsh, but his close-range left-footed strike struck the underside of the woodwork with McMullan beaten.
Padraig Amond played a captains part to bring the Blues level on 38 minutes when the centre forward peeled to the back post to meet a cracking left-wing delivery from Conon Noonan before planting a header past Clarke for his 14th goal of the campaign.
The Blues introduced Dean McMenamy at the half-time break in place of Sam Glenfield, and the midfielder went close with a decent effort on 57 minutes when he took a pass from James Olayinka, but his effort from the top of the penalty area sailed inches over the bar. He made a real difference.
A chance fell at the feet of McMenamy with 75 minutes on the clock as he broke onto a Kyle White left-wing cross on the top of the penalty area, but he stabbed a right-footed shot over Brendan Clarke’s crossbar before the same player was just over once again nine minutes from time.
As the home side pressed for a winning goal, Noonan sent over a left-wing cross five minutes from time that picked out Tommy Lonergan, but he couldn’t direct his header on target before Aaron Bolger was off target from the counterattack a minute later.
Muhammadu Faal nearly proved to be the Waterford hero deep in added time when he got on the end of a Tommy Lonergan cross, but his header was deflected over the bar for a corner that saw referee award a free out when it seemed as if Grant Horton was pulled down at the back post.
Waterford never gave up in their bid for a goal, but they just ran out of time as they gave their all in the final game of the season. It has to be said though that the damage was done long before the final day of the season in terms of the position that the Blues found themselves in. One more game to put things right.
McMullan; Radkowski (Smith 62), Leahy, Burke; Horton, Olayinka (Coyle 87), Glenfield (McMenamy 46), Noonan, Whyte (Faal 81); Lonergan, Amond.
Clarke; Esua, Brouder, Bolger (Horgan 90), Buckley, Burns; Keohane (Piesold 78), Hurley (Slevin 69), McCarthy (McCormack 69), Hickey, Walsh.
Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).
3,211
