Monaghan United 3 - 1 Waterford United

• Peter Hughes
• Sat, Aug 20 2011


Sean Brennan, Jordan Keegan and Michael Isichei might have grabbed the goalscoring glory, but this stirring comeback victory by Monaghan United over a powerful Waterford United side was founded on a stellar goalkeeping performance by the Mons’ Italian custodian Gabriel Sava.

With the score at 2-1 in his side’s favour, Sava made one miracle stop to deny Waterford winger Adam McSherry, and four or five follow-up contributions that were merely outstanding, heroics that paved the way for the late Isichei strike that finally put paid to the determined effort made by Paul O’Brien’s charges to wrest something from the game.

It was Waterford who had seized early command of proceedings – just twenty seconds had elapsed when the ball struck the back of Sava’s net, McSherry easily outpacing the Mons’ defence to latch on to a long pass out of midfield and drive home.

Monaghan gradually picked up the tempo of their passing game and soon had the visitors under heavy pressure. Ryan Brennan tested Kevin Burns from distance and a Fabio O’Brien header required the intervention of centre back Kevin Murray to relieve the threat.

The equaliser came in the 26th minute and it was a memorable one. Jordan Keegan hit an excellent pass into the Waterford box and Sean Brennan allowed the ball to bounce into his path before lofting a shot over the advancing Burns.

Keith Quinn drove narrowly wide as the Mons took control, and there was an air of inevitability when their second arrived in the 38th minute. Sean Brennan caused all sorts of mayhem on the right flank before the ball was worked through a string of incisive passes to the feet of Jordan Keegan, who made no mistake from close range.

Just before half-time Sean Brennan teed up O’Brien with an inch-perfect pass, and the striker was only denied by a top-draw save from Burns.

Waterford came at Monaghan with a vengeance on the resumption. In the 47th minute, after outstanding work on the left by Paul Walsh, McSherry drilled a ten-yard volley that looked odds-on the equaliser before Sava somehow turned the ball out from under his crossbar. It was a stunning instinctive stop.

Although the Mons had some chances on the counter, the force was most definitely with the visitors as the half continued. Twice Sava kept out pulsating drives from distance by David Breen, before executing a double save to thwart marauding full-back Seamus Long. A John Reilly cross almost crept into the Waterford top corner, but it was the visitors who continued to forge the better opportunities. Sava dealt with Kevin Murray’s downward header and then turned away another thunderbolt from Breen.

As the game entered its final ten minutes, Monaghan boss Roddy Collins sent on Michael Isichei, and the change proved an inspired one. From a free-kick floated by Sean Brennan into a crowded box, Isichei used his power to get to the ball before displaying consummate delicacy with a glancing header beyond Burns to secure the points for his side.

Monaghan United: Sava; Reilly, A Collins, A Byrne, Grimes; Quinn( Marks 75), Foley, R Brennan (McDonagh 66), Keegan (Isichei 81); O’Brien, S Brennan.
Subs not used: R Collins, P Byrne, Rossiter, D Byrne.

Waterford United: Burns; Long, Murray, Browne, Carey; Breen, Dunphy, Walsh (Balevicius 88), McSherry (Nolan 75); Keane (Wilson 32), Murphy.
Subs not used: Heslip, Cooley, Coad, Barron.

Referee: D Coombes (Dublin)