Waterford United 0 - 1 Monaghan United

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, May 26 2011


A Sean Brennan goal after 25 minutes was enough to separate Waterford United and Monaghan United at the RSC on Thursday night as Roddy Collins men continued their impressive form to take all three points in a hard fought game that never quite took off.

It was a gloriously sunny evening at the RSC but early play was hampered by the curse of footballers worldwide, a strong swirling wind that made the flight of the ball savagely unpredictable. It didn’t help matters that both sides tended to snap at the ball, leading to an unhealthy degree of high altitude football.

Waterford were the first to threaten inside the opening minute when Paul Murphy shot wide at the back post having picked up a Conor Sinnott cross. But seven minutes later the home side were but Kevin Murray executed a saving tackle on Declan O’Brien when he had picked up a weak back pass from full back Michael Coady.

Both teams conceded possession on a regular basis making it difficult for a coherent pattern of play to develop and chances were seldom clear cut. Murphy sliced a shot wide of the Monaghan goal on 12 minutes and Kevin Burns was called on to clear outside his box when O’Brien broke through on the back of an intercepted clearance from Kenny Browne.

However, a breakthrough did come on 25 minutes when, following a half cleared corner, Don Tierney spun a cross towards the right had post and Philip Byrne managed to get his head to the ball. Sean Brennan was lurking eight yards out and was first to the second ball, driving a low shot inside Burn’s left hand post to put Monaghan ahead.

Gary Keane might have drawn the sides level on the half hour mark after a Paul Murphy lob had beat the visitor’s off-side line. Dwayne Wilson played a decent ball to Keane who shuffled his way into position before shooting too close to Gabriel Sava. Moments later Don Tierney fired in a low shot from the edge of the box that Burns saw late but just about got down to save.

Right on half time Willie John Kiely was inches away from getting on the end of a superb through ball from Keane but Sava beat him to it to preserve the visitor’s lead as the break fell.

The second half saw an improvement in the home side’s passing play, led in this regard by playmaker Conor Sinnott who fed a sharp ball in to the feet of Murphy on 49 minutes. His powerful shot from 20 yards was palmed away by Sava and David Breen’s follow up was blocked.

However, it was Monaghan who took up the second half baton, Ryan Brennan having two efforts foiled from a corner on 54 minutes. The first, a header was cleared from the line by Sinnott and the second, a shot from just inside the box, whistled narrowly wide.

Three minutes later Kevin Burns had to be alert to whip the ball off the toes of O’Brien who ran clean through on goal and four minutes later O’Brien should have done better than roll a tame shot across goal having found himself in space inside the Waterford box.

As the game entered its final quarter Waterford continued to suffer from a lack of penetration, Roddy Collins adding to the home side’s problems by shifting his side to a three man central midfield, Eric Foley replacing the largely uninvolved Jason Marks. With passing play yielding little, Murphy hammered in a thirty yard free kick with twenty minutes left that skimmed the crossbar above a startled Sava. But it was Monaghan’s more direct approach that held sway, the visitors creating a plethora of half chances.

With Foley anchoring a solid midfield, Monaghan looked comfortable as frustration at Waterford’s impotence rang out from the home stands. Nor were four added minutes enough for the Blues to dig out an equaliser and Monaghan left with three well earned points to keep them company on the long trip home.

Waterford United: Kevin Burns; Seamus Long (Paul Carey, 88), Kevin Murray, Kenny Browne Michael Coady; Paul Murphy, Conor Sinnott, David Breen, Dwayne Wilson (Shane Dempsey, 71); Willie John Kiely, Gary Keane.
Subs not used: Josh Byrne, Shane Barrett, Gary Dunphy, Brian Nolan, Lee Chin.

Bookings: Browne (81).
Sendings Off: None.

Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava; Aidan Collins, Alan Byrne, Philip Byrne, Shane Grimes; John Reilly (Shane Fitzgerald, 66), Don Tierney, Jason Marks (Eric Foley, 53), Ryan Brennan; Declan O’Brien, Sean Brennan.
Subs not used: Conor McMahon Paul Whelan, Michael Isichei, Andy Haran.

Bookings: O’Brien (58), R Brennan (81), S Brennan (94).
Sendings Off: None.

extratime.ie Man of the Match: Ryan Brennan.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald.

Attendance: 362.