- Macdara Ferris
- Mon, May 06 2024
Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium
It was a Blues Bank Holiday Monday as Waterford won in Tallaght Stadium for the very first time in the club’s history against a Hoops first team.
The 3-1 result saw Rovers suffer their first home defeat in 16 matches as they lost at home to Waterford for the first time in the Premier Division since 2005.
It took just three minutes for the visitors to score after Hoops goalkeeper Leon Pöhls palmed a corner into his own net. The lively Conor Parsons, who linked up well with Padraig Amond well throughout the game, had won an early corner off Pico Lopes for the visiting side.
Dean McMenamy, who played 13 matches for Rovers’ second team previously in the First Division, swung the corner in and, coming through traffic, Pöhls could only put the ball into his own net.
Stephen Bradley’s side were only behind for five minutes though as Johnny Kenny kept up his good goalscoring form finding the net for the fourth match in a row. The Hoops had taken a free kick laterally from Conan Noonan to Sean Kavanagh and he found Kenny at the back post.
The 20-year-old striker’s first effort was saved by Sam Sargeant but Kenny was quickly on it to send a left foot effort from close range into the back of the net.
It was a disjointed performance by the home side against a Waterford side who hadn’t just come to Tallaght to defend and the visitors retook the lead on 17 minutes. After Josh Honohan had blocked Amond’s effort, the ball ran free to McMenamy who was lurking outside the penalty area.
He took the ball on his chest and his low shot found the back of the net as Pöhls was left scrambling across his line in vein trying to get a hand on the ball.
Back in a winning position and the Blues were happy enough now to slow the game down. It was too slow for referee Eoghan O’Shea though who booked Darragh Power for taking too long to take a throw in.
Trevor Clarke on the right wing was the biggest threat for Rovers. He had skied an early shot over the bar, had a goalbound effort blocked by Darragh Leahy and his effort just before half time only went wide of the post thanks to a touch off a Blues player.
Early in the second half Dan Cleary went close at both ends. In the Blues box his back post effort just went wide of the post while at the other end his headed clearance of Grant Horton’s effort just cleared the Rovers crossbar.
Pöhls pulled off a fine save to push out Maleace Asamoah shot but the ball came to Parsons who on the edge of the area blasted the ball into the back of the net off the crossbar to give his team a 3-1 lead in the 56th minute.
Bradley brought on Neil Farrugia and Jack Byrne just after the goal as Rovers chased a route back into the game. Kenny cracked a curling effort off the crossbar in the 65th minute and moments later lifted another shot just over the crossbar.
Byrne’s goalbound effort was headed behind by Horton as the Hoops piled on the pressure late on
Sargeant made a mess of a Cleary header which he fumbled onto the post but the ball fell to safety for the Blues. He hit the woodwork with a looping header two minutes from time but the Hoops didn’t do enough to take anything from the game.
Rovers missed the chance to go top of the table with Keith Long’s men, after Friday’s win in Sligo, making it a fine six point haul for the Bank Holiday weekend away from home.
Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pöhls; Daniel Cleary, Pico Lopes, Joshua Honohan; Trevor Clarke (Cory O'Sullivan 75), Conan Noonan (Neil Farrugia 55), Markus Poom (Cian Barrett 78), Seán Kavanagh (Jack Byrne 56); Darragh Nugent, Johnny Kenny, Aaron Greene
Subs not used: Lee Steacy, Toms Leitis, Zak Reddy, Matthew Britton, John O'Sullivan.
Booked: Seán Kavanagh (42), Stephen Bradley (44), Markus Poom (63), Pico (69), Johnny Kenny (73).
Waterford: Sam Sargeant; Darragh Power, Kacper Radkowski, Grant Horton, Robert McCourt, Darragh Leahy; Rowan McDonald, Dean McMenamy (Niall O'Keeffe 90); Maleace Asamoah (Harvey Macadam 70), Connor Parsons (Christie Pattisson 82); Padraig Amond.
Subs not used: Matthew Connor, Joseph Forde, Romeo Akachukwu, Ben McCormack, Connor Evans, Gbemi Arubi.
Booked: Darragh Power (32), Darragh Leahy (83).
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea
Attendance: 4,843
extratime.com Player of the Match: Connor Parsons (Waterford)
