Report: Shelbourne 2 - 0 Waterford United

A brace by striker Anto Flood gave Shelbourne an incredibly easy victory over Waterford United at Tolka Park. The first on nine minutes and the second two minutes from time sealed an emphatic performance from the home side.

Waterford made just one change since last week with Joey Mulcahy replacing Karl Bermingham for the visitors. A new look Shels’ back four of Chambers, Hedderman, Brennan and Keely lined up as the home side missed three through suspension. Alan Mulcahy got a rare start on the right as Shels’ looked to take back second place in the first division.

Shelbourne started far brighter with Flood’s ninth minute opener coming from Shels’ fifth foray forward. Flood should have opened the scoring five minutes earlier however after a lengthy run from Damien Brennan, which seemed to attract little or no attention from a nervy Waterford midfield, released Flood who put the ball just wide. The opener itself came from a cute ball over the top from Chambers from just outside the box. The Waterford defence left it for a keeper who never came and Flood’s delicate lob found the back of the net.

Shels weren’t in the mood for waiting around and three minutes later James Keddy’s shot hit the bar and bounced just too far away from Flood standing six yards out. Sixty seconds later Keddy again tried his look from a free from twenty yards out which was tipped over the bar as Waterford tried desperately to stay with the hosts.

Waterford tried to attack and Paul McCarthy might feel aggrieved that his pass across the box rolled casually to a red shirt but Shels’ were dominant. Flood, on top form now, casually dispossessed David Breen wide left and but for the attention of Kenny Browne may well have doubled his tally.

Twenty minutes in and Waterford were nowhere to be seen. They looked as dangerous as a wet sock, which bodes badly for a side with promotion ambitions. Shels’ were in such form that if the visitors dropped deep, Shels’ merely poured forward, if they pushed up, Flood’s pace made a mess of any offside trap.

McGill and O’Brien enjoyed time and space in the middle with easily half an hour of the first forty-five being played in the visitors half. However McGill’s rare miskick gifted Waterford with a corner on forty minutes, which eventually came out to Joey Mulcahy whose shot flew over. Two minutes later, surprisingly up-tempo play around Shels’ box released an unmarked Willy John Keily whose volley was tipped over as the half ended.

Shels’ emerged from the tunnel again the brighter. Freeman parried Alan Mulcahy’s first quality delivery of the night into Flood’s path but his volley couldn’t beat Packie Holden. Waterford on the other hand emerged somewhat calmer than earlier. Simple passes seemed to be the plan Cronin had given, and it seemed to ease the pressure a little.

Cool play down the right, five minutes into the half, saw Kiely’s cross find Vinnie Sullivan free to head over for the second time in the game. The excellent Damien Brennan thwarted substitute Karl Bermingham while Dean Delaney saved a counter by Sullivan, who really should have scored when in behind the defence. A Foley corner minutes later was kept in play by Bermingham only for Fitzpatrick’s dive for the ball to be beaten by three Shels’ defenders. That sums up Waterford’s threat unfortunately, as Shels’ were otherwise imperiously on top.

First Shels’ broke on sixty five minutes and Alan Mulcahy’s last touch of the night was a great cross to the unmarked Flood at the back post, whose header came back off the bar. Then On seventy-seven minutes, Holden blocked Phillip Hughes’ stinging shot and five minutes later the same player broke away and blazed over. Flood found himself in possession in front of the keeper on eighty-five minutes only to doss for too long, allowing Holden to get down well on the ball.

O’Brien’s nice play down the left released Keddy who shot just over on eighty seven minutes as Shels’ chased a likely second and with two minutes remaining Shels’ finally got the goal they deserved as Hughes beat the high line held by the visitors and played in Flood to finish the game.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany; James Chambers, Alan Keely, Damien Brennan, Robbie Hedderman; Mark O’Brien, David McGill, Alan Mulcahy (Philly Hughes 62), James Keddy; Anto Flood, David Freeman.
Subs not used: John McGuinness, Peter McGlynn Dean Lawrence, Mark Rutherford.

Waterford United: Packie Holden; Stephen Quigley, David Breen, Kenny Browne (Luke Fitzpatrick 46), Robbie Clarke; Dave Warren, Paul McCarthy, Joe Mulcahy, Michael Foley (Kevin Waters 68); Vinny Sullivan, Willie John Kiely (Karl Bermingham 51).
Subs not used: Gary Dunphy, Kieran Fitzgerald.

Referee: Tom Connolly.

Attendance: 858

Man of the Match: Anto Flood, got the goals.