Waterford United 0 - 1 Shelbourne
Credit:
Shelbourne made it three wins out of three, with once again a substitute coming off the bench to score and tie up the game.
However, where previously in the last two games it had been Anto Flood coming on in place of Paddy Madden to do the necessary, this time around roles were reversed, with the youngster on loan from Bohemians maintaining the Reds’ one hundred percent record with a goal just eight minutes from the final whistle,
In just one other change to his team, Shels manager Dermot Keely restored Alan Keely to his defence in place of the injured Stephen Quigley. Stephen Henderson sent out an unchanged Blues side after their derby win over Wexford last week.
In a becalmed RSC stadium, both sides were slow to start with few chances being created, but the home side gradually took control, with Dunphy and Kiely both going close. On 23 minutes Keely almost gifted them a golden opportunity with a poorly directed back-header forcing his keeper, Dean Delaney, to race out of his area and head the ball clear.
Delaney came to the rescue again on 39 minutes when he dived full length to palm away a thunder strike from Paul McCarthy. The ball ran out to Kevin Waters on the left, but fortunately for the visitors he sliced it well wide. Just before the break, Shelbourne put a couple of attacks together with Peter Hynes going closest with a free header inches over the bar.
The second half saw Shelbourne gain more possession, but both sides lacked penetration in the final third with neither keeper really being tested. Paul McCarthy should have done better just on the hour mark from a good position just outside the six yard line but he screwed the ball wide. For Shelbourne, Daisy Brennan got a couple of long throw-ins onto the head of Kevin Doherty but his back headers fell just short.
Then on 82 minutes, Richie Baker broke through one-on-one with the keeper, but Devine forced him wide, with the ball taking a deflection out into touch. From the resultant quick throw-in, David Cassidy struck a fierce angled shot from the right with seemed destined for the bottom left-hand corner. But the Blues net-minder got a hand to it, only to put it into the path of the in-rushing Madden who crashed it into the back of the net.
Waterford Utd: Mick Devine; Alan Carey, Graham Cummins, Keith Murray, Seamus Long, Kenneth Browne, Gary Dunphy (David Grincell 65), Paul McCarthy (Kieran Fitzgerald), John Kearney, Kevin Waters; Willie John Keily.
Subs not used: Kevin Burns (gk), Declan Woodgate, Paul Carey.
Booked: Browne (53).
Shelbourne: Dean Delany; Damien Brennan, Alan Keely, Kevin Doherty, David Crawley; Mark O’Brien, David McAllister, David Cassidy, Richie Baker; Peter Hynes (Derek Doyle 80 ), Anto Flood (Paddy Madden 68).
Subs not used: Vinny Whelan, Keith Murray, Robbie Hedderman.
Referee: Padraigh Sutton.
Attendance: 800 (estimate)
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Dean Delany (Shelbourne) – He kept Shels in the game in the first half when Waterford dominated.
