We're really starting to find our rhythm again
Waterford captain Padraig Amond shows his delight at the end of the game against Derry City.
Consistency has been a huge issue for us this season, not only in terms of results but also in the performances we were putting in. Earlier in the year, even when we played well and gave teams plenty of problems, we still couldn't seem to get over the line and pick up the wins that our performances deserved. That was probably the most frustrating part of it all.
You could see signs that things were improving, but we just couldn't back them up the following week. One good display would be followed by a disappointing one and it felt like we were constantly taking one step forward and one step back. It was the same Jekyll-and-Hyde story all over again and, understandably, confidence was taking a hit because of it.
Since Graham Coughlan came in as manager, a lot has changed. The results are the obvious thing people point to, but there has been much more to it than that. There has been consistency in team selection, consistency in performances and consistency in the standards being demanded around the place every day. When you get that, confidence starts to grow naturally and that's exactly what has happened over the last couple of months.
You can see it in the lads now. There is a belief there that maybe wasn't there earlier in the season and, when results start to go your way, that feeling only gets stronger.
Last Friday we travelled to the Ryan McBride Brandywell to take on a Derry City side that, by their own standards, will probably be disappointed with how their season has gone so far. They have invested heavily and have a talented squad, so we knew we were facing a very difficult test.
It was my first time playing there since the switch from astro turf back to grass and I have to say the pitch was absolutely outstanding. Huge credit has to go to everyone involved because it is one of the best surfaces we have played on all season.
Coming into the game there was a lot of talk about our inability to win back-to-back matches. It was a statistic we were all aware of and the manager challenged us during the week to put that right. He also challenged us to believe that we could climb off the bottom of the table by the end of the night.
Thankfully, we delivered.
The previous week against Dundalk we started the game really well but, after about 10 minutes, we took a backward step and allowed them back into it. We learned from that experience and there was no sign of it in Derry.
From the first whistle we were aggressive, on the front foot and looking to impose ourselves on the game. We deservedly took the lead when Tommy Lonergan calmly converted from the penalty spot and, in truth, we could have gone further ahead.
Even though we went into the dressing room 1-0 up, there was a feeling among the lads that we had left a few chances behind us. The important thing was that nobody became frustrated. We knew if we kept doing the right things, more opportunities would come.
That proved to be the case.
We started the second half exactly as we had finished the first. We looked dangerous every time we attacked and Tommy grabbed his second goal before I managed to add a third with just over 10 minutes remaining. At that stage we felt in complete control and looked to be cruising towards a massive three points.
Of course, football rarely allows things to be straightforward.
We switched off from a corner and Derry pulled one back. Before we knew it, they had another goal and suddenly a game that looked comfortable became very uncomfortable.
I'd imagine every Waterford supporter watching was thinking: "Here we go again."
Earlier in the season that might well have been the case. We may have panicked, retreated into ourselves and invited further pressure.
Instead, we reacted in the right way.
There was no panic from anyone. The lads stayed calm, stuck to the plan and trusted what had got us into such a strong position in the first place. That mentality is probably the biggest difference in the group right now.
When Jorgen Voilas raced through, rounded the goalkeeper and finished for our fourth goal, it felt like the reward for a performance that deserved all three points.
It was a brilliant victory and one that carried a little extra significance. It came almost a year to the day after we suffered that 7-2 defeat in Derry, which was a real low point for the club. To come back there and produce a display like that shows how much progress has been made.
The win, combined with Sligo Rovers' defeat to Shamrock Rovers, lifted us off the bottom of the table for the first time in what feels like a very long time. It certainly makes the league table look a lot healthier than it did a few weeks ago.
What has pleased me most is that our recent run has dragged more teams into the battle. Not so long ago people were writing us off, but now there are several clubs looking over their shoulder. More importantly, there is genuine belief among our supporters that we can still make a real fight of this season.
That belief is growing, but it has to be matched by hard work.
Next up is another huge challenge when St Patrick's Athletic come to the RSC on Friday night. They have been one of the form teams in the league and currently sit third in the table. Like ourselves, they have won three of their last four matches and they will arrive full of confidence.
The game is live on television and hopefully it will be a good spectacle, but our focus is on one thing only — picking up another positive result.
We have come a long way in the last two months and there is no question that things are moving in the right direction. The danger now is becoming satisfied with what we have done so far.
The reality is that we have achieved nothing yet.
There are still four months of the season to go and a huge amount of work ahead. If we continue to train and play with the same intensity, honesty and commitment that we have shown since Graham arrived, then I believe we will put ourselves in a strong position.
But football has a habit of bringing you back down to earth very quickly. Nothing will be handed to us and every point we earn between now and the end of the season will have to be deserved. That's exactly the mindset we need to keep.
