League Report: St. Patrick's Athletic 3 - 0 Waterford

Dylan McBennett reporting live from Richmond Park

Mason Melia was instrumental for St. Patrick's on a warm night at Richmond Park, as the European-chasing side secured a 3-0 victory over Waterford FC.

It was the home side who made the better start, with Christopher Forrester striking the bar after two minutes following a good ball down the line from Anto Breslin, during a period of sustained pressure for the Saints.

Waterford, who welcomed the return of starting goalkeeper Sam Sargeant after an extended period on the sidelines with a fractured wrist, saw their keeper called into action early. Sargeant produced a fine save from Jamie Lennon's powerful shot, which tested him after just eight minutes.

Carl Axel Sjoberg found plenty of space in the opening 15 minutes, with Stephen Kenny’s side dominating proceedings.

The intensity of their pressing was noticeably affecting Waterford, who struggled to build any momentum in the 5-3-2 system deployed by Keith Long.

Sargeant was called into action again in the 24th minute after Brandon Kavanagh won his duel in midfield and struck the ball from range.

Minutes later, Barry Crowe Baggley had Waterford’s first shot of the game on the half-hour mark, as the captain created a yard for himself on the edge of the opposition box and tested Joseph Anang with a looping effort.

Waterford continued to grow into the game by the 34th minute, with Ryan Burke testing Anang with a left-footed shot from the edge of the 18-yard box. However, their progress was short-lived. A moment of brilliance from Brandon Kavanagh saw him turn two Waterford defenders with a single move before delivering a precise pass to Zack Elbouzedi, who slotted past Sargeant to open the scoring against his former club.

It got worse for the away side six minutes later, with 16-year-old Mason Melia making it two after the ball broke to him inside the box following good work initially from Mulraney. Melia made no mistake, and Richmond erupted with joy.

The first half ended with Samuel Bellis flashing a shot wide of the Saints’ goal, in a half where Waterford never truly showed up.

Waterford showed intent early in the second half, with Burke going close from range after some good football in the final third. Keith Long’s side looked to push higher up the pitch in search of a goal to change the tide of the game.

The Blue White Army had their first real sustained period inside the opposition half, causing Anang in the Pats goal into action on a couple of occasions. The drop in intensity from Kenny’s side was evident, but they still remained a threat on the break, with Mulraney going close in the 56th minute.

Pats nearly found a third goal on the hour mark after more intelligent work from Elbouzedi, whose left-footed drive almost squirmed under the legs of the Blues' keeper, who was nearly left red-faced on his return to action.

The game entered a lull after that, with neither side able to stamp their authority, trading blows for the next ten minutes but without landing a killer punch. Kian Leavy’s injection of pace added some steel to the Saints’ attack, pushing the away side back.

Leavy’s impact proved pivotal in the 77th minute, as he drove gracefully through midfield, slipping Aidan Keena through, and the substitute made no mistake, smashing the ball past Sargeant with the help of the bar.

It was a dismal night for Waterford, who, despite flashes at times, struggled to get any foothold in the game. Padraig Amond cut a lonely figure up top for the Blue White Army in a result that delivers a massive blow to their European hopes.

With the win, St. Patrick's move just one point behind Sligo Rovers, while Waterford drop out of the top four following Galway United's win over Shelbourne.

It was another positive night for the Saints under Stephen Kenny, with the future looking increasingly bright at Richmond Park.

St Patrick’s Athletic: J. Anang, A. Breslin, J. Redmond, T. Grivosti, J. Lennon, C. Forrester, M. Melia (A. Keena, 76’),, B. Kavanagh (J. McClelland, 83’), J. Mulraney (L. Turner, 63'), C. Sjoberg, Z. Elbouzedi (K. Leavy, 63’)

Subs not used: D. Rogers, C. Keeley, R. McLaughlin, A. Amin Kazeem, M. Noonan

Booked: T. Grivosti ‘29, M. Melia ‘44, C. Forrester ‘75.

Waterford FC: S.Sargeant, D.Power, R.Burke, G.Horton (S.Flynn, 81’), R.McDonald, B.Crowe-Baggley (B.McCormack, 81’), P.Amond, D.Leahy, K.Radkowski, S.Bellis (G. Arubi, 87’), D.McMenamy (S.Glenfield, 81’)

Subs not used: L. Jones, N. O'Keefe, C. Parsons, C. Evans, and C. Pattison

Booked: Dean McMenamy ‘32

Attendance: 4,237

extratime.com Player of the Match: Brandon Kavanagh