Waterford FC made it two wins from two in pre-season with a 4-1 success over Wexford FC at a bitterly cold RSC on Friday night last as three first half goals settled the tie in favour of a Blues side that bossed the contest from start to finish.
Owen Wall caused a couple of problems for his former club during the early exchanges as he had an opportunity to open the scoring on five minutes when he got free down the right channel before firing a shot across the face of goal.
Wall created some space for himself just outside the penalty area just two minutes later but his right-footed shot just cleared the crossbar of keeper Niall Corbet as Wexford began the game on the front foot.
It was the Blues that broke the deadlock however on nine minutes when Paul Keegan sent over a corner kick from the left to the near post that found Patrick McClean and after his shot came back off the post, Gavan Holohan was on hand to fire the close-range rebound to the net.
Waterford grabbed their second goal of the contest on 24 minutes when Gavan Holohan got free down the right channel but after Wexford skipper Ross Kenny cleared off the line, Izzy Akinade rose highest to head the loose ball past visiting keeper Danny Bolger.
Sander Puri had a great chance to add a third goal for the hosts on the stroke of half time when he got free at the back post to meet a left-wing cross from Derek Daly but Wexford keeper Danny Bolger tipped the ball over the bar.
The third goal did arrive from the resulting corner kick as Keegan’s delivery from the left was touched on by Bastien Héry at the near post before taking a second deflection that took the ball past Wexford’s Danny Bolger.
Wexford got themselves a goal on 56 minutes when Shane Barnes played the ball behind the Blues defence that saw Aaron Dobbs outpace Patrick McClean on the right side of the area before slipping a right-footed shot to the far corner past an advancing Niall Corbet.
Gavan Holohan restored the three-goal advantage for Waterford on the hour mark when the midfielder took possession of the ball on the left-side of the penalty area and he beat keeper Colum Feeney from edge of the penalty area.
Dean Walsh could have added a fifth goal for the home side within a minute of his introduction when the centre forward raced onto a through ball from Darryl Walsh but he shot first time straight at Wexford keeper Feeney.
WATERFORD FC: Niall Corbet (Matthew Connor ’73), Rory Feely (John Kavanagh ’59), Patrick McClean (Trialist C ’68), David Webster (Justin Croke ’78), Trialist A (Trialist B ’68), Paul Keegan (Darryl Walsh ’59), Bastien Héry (Shane Griffin ’68), Gavan Holohan (Sean Roche ’78), Sander Puri (Dean O’Halloran ’59), Derek Daly (Dean Walsh ’59), Izzy Akinade (John Martin ’68)
WEXFORD FC: Danny Bolger, Liam McCartan, Sean Hurley, Ross Kenny, Owen McCormack, Conor Sutton, Aaron O’Connor, Chris Kenny, Danny Doyle, Owen Wall, Dean George
Referee: Andrew Mullally assisted by Adam Tszample and Richie Brazil
