Credit:
Waterford United -v- Monaghan United
- Brendan White
- Mon, Nov 01 2010
Tuesday night is D-Day for Waterford United and Monaghan United as the sides come face to face in the First Division play-off tie in the RSC. Kick-Off 7.45pm.
A defeat for either side will condemn them to another season in the First Division, while the victor will go on to face Galway United or Bray Wanderers in the promotion/relegation play-off for a place in the Premier Division.
The final set of league fixtures on Saturday brings both teams into this game in differing form. The home side faced an in-form Shelbourne side in Tolka Park, and despite being a goal down at half time, produced a fantastic second half performance to win 2-1, with John Kearney and Willie John Kiely grabbing the goals which guaranteed them a home play-off spot.
With Shelbourne not picking up the three points, Monaghan United held onto third spot despite a 1-0 defeat to league champions Derry City. A game that looked destined for a draw saw a Mark Farren goal with nine minutes remaining ensure Derry collected the points and subsequently claimed the First Division trophy.
Stephen Henderson’s only personnel problem is the continued absence of striker Vinny Sullivan who continues his recovering from a dislocated shoulder picked up against Athlone Town.
Henderson was delighted with the comeback and the attitude of his players in the second half. "We were a bit ropey in the first half, but we came out for the second half with a positive attitude and we took the game to Shelbourne. I had a feeling that Shels were getting nervous and when we made the changes I had no doubt that we would win the match. We had some wonderful performers out there tonight. Young Kevin Burns pulled off an incredible save after 30 seconds and from then on he really looked the part. Kevin Murray and Seamus Long were brilliant at the back", he said.
Paul Murphy and John Kearney ran the second half show for the Blues and Henderson was quick to praise them. "Paul Murphy pulled their defenders all over the place and his partnership with Willie John is looking really good. John Kearney was immense in the middle of the park and he took his goal brilliantly. This is the second game in a row that we have come back from behind to win and that shows the character we have in this squad at the moment. We will enjoy this win tonight but then it's back to business for Tuesday night. We want to beat Monaghan and move on to the next stage of the play-offs."
Mick Cooke welcomes back Sean Brennan who returns from suspension, while Karl Bermingham should be Cooke’s only absentee through injury.
Cooke was pleased that his side achieved the target of being in the play-offs. “After an excellent season all we could hope for from last weekend’s game against Derry City was to qualify for the ‘play-offs’ and this we achieved. It would have been nice to have had home advantage but in the end we had to settle for a trip to the RSC against Waterford United. Our main aim all season was qualification for the Premier Division and the dream is still alive. Apart from the final result, I was satisfied with our overall performance against Derry.”
Monaghan have a good record against Waterford this season, with three wins from three league games. “After an excellent winning display against Shelbourne at Tolka Park in which they did it the hard way in having to come from behind, Waterford United will be feeling confident. They have home advantage and the RSC is always a tough ground to get a result in, however on our last two trips they we came away winners, but some of our heavy defeats over the seasons occurred there. We will have to be at our best to get the required result.”
The game is sure to be a close encounter with both sides desperate for a shot at Premier Division football next season. With the game a one-legged affair, neither side will want to concede an early goal but know that either are 90 minutes away from a chance at Premier Division football.
Venue: RSC
paddypower.com odds: Waterford United 5/6 Draw 9/4 Monaghan United 3/1
Waterford United
Doubtful: None
Injured: Vinny Sullivan
Suspended: None
Monaghan United
Doubtful: None
Injured: Karl Bermingham
Suspended: None
Extratime.ie Prediction: A game sure to be very close, too hard to call, but one goal could decide the outcome.
About Brendan White
Brendan White is Extratime News Editor and is responsible for the news section of Extratime.ie. Brendan also covers matches in Dublin and Waterford. You can contact Brendan on twitter @whitebrendan.