Waterford United 0 - 1 Shelbourne
- Adrian Flanagan
- Tue, Oct 27 2009
SHELBOURNE have closed the gap on league leaders UCD to four points in the League of Ireland First Division as a lone first half strike from Tony Griffiths gave the Dublin outfit victory over Waterford United at the RSC last night but the home side will be wondering how they didn’t manage to win this contest.
The victors had former United goalkeeper Dean Delaney to thank for his sides success as the netminder denied Waterford time after time and this results condemns the Blues to first division football again next season.
Shelbourne got off to the perfect start on 11 minutes as David McAllister turned provider down the right channel for Tony Griffiths and after he cut in from the right channel, he drilled a low right-footed angled effort past Michael Devine.
The home side were denied by a brilliant double save from Delaney on 14 minutes when he firstly kept out a Alan Carey left-wing free kick and the netminder also dived full length to tip a free kick from John Kearney around the posts.
The home side had a goal ruled out for offside four minutes before the sound of the half time whistle when Graham Cummins got his head on the end of a Carey right-wing delivery but although he powered a header past Delaney, the flag was raised for a dubious offside call by assistant referee.
Following a slow start to the second period, the game sprung into life on 63 minutes when Shelbourne keeper Delaney produced the save of the season to deny Willie John Kiely from point blank range after the latter got on the end of a Vinny Sullivan left-wing delivery.
It was Kenny Browne that was next Blues player to go close to finding an equaliser when he got on the end of a Paul Walsh right-wing cross on 70 minutes but his header flashed inches over the crossbar and with Graham Cummins bearing down on goal less than four minutes later, Damien Brennan put in a superb challenge.
As Waterford continued to press for a leveller, they went agonisingly close again on 82 minutes when Dave Warren set up Seamus Long and after bursting into the penalty, his left-footed effort just went the wrong side of the uprights with Delaney beaten.
In a rare Shelbourne attack, the post came to the home sides rescue five minutes from time as Colin O’Brien picked out Derek Doyle with a superb right-wing cross and although his header had keeper Devine beaten, he was denied by the upright.
In the third minute of added time, Graham Cummins somehow managed to strike the underside of the crossbar following a Dave Warren and missed chances proved too be the story of the Blues night as seconds later, man of the match Dean Delaney brilliantly kept out an effort from John Kearney.
Waterford United: Devine; Carey, Murray, Browne, Long; Walsh (Grincell `86), Kearney, Dunphy (Grant `83) Sullivan; Cummins, Kiely (Warren `76)
Shelbourne: Delaney; Synnott, Keely (Crawley `43), Brennan, Hedderman; O’Brien, McGill, McAllister, Cassidy (Doyle `73); Griffiths, Flood
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork)
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