SSE Airtricity Premier Division
Limerick FC 0
Waterford FC 2
Courtney Duffus `23, Paul Keegan pen `84
Goals from Courtney Duffus and Paul Keegan helped Waterford FC secure their 6th league win of the season after Alan Reynolds side comfortably got the better of Limerick FC in their SSE Airtricity Premier Division clash played at Markets Field on Friday night last.
Although Blues keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was forced into making two great saves in the first half to deny Will Fitzgerald and Shane Duggan, it was Waterford that missed a heap of chances with Gavan Holohan guilty of missing a couple.
Limerick FC keeper Brendan Clarke made the first save of the game after seven minutes when he denied Courtney Duffus at his near post after the attacker struck a shot in from the left side before the same player fired straight at the home netminder on 16 minutes from the edge of the area.
The home side nearly got their noses in front sixty seconds later when Will Fitzgerald took advantage of a lapse in concentration from the visiting defence but Blues keeper Lawrence Vigouroux raced from his goal to save superbly.
It was the brilliance of the on-loan striker Courtney Duffus that gave the Blues the lead goal on 23 minutes when he latched onto a through ball from Gavan Holohan and after controlling the ball superbly, he beat Clarke with a well-executed left-footed finish from the edge of the area.
The home side looked certain to level the tie on 38 minutes when Connor Ellis slipped the ball into the path of Shane Duggan who looked destine to score but Lawrence Vigouroux stood tall to save superbly from close range.
Gavan Holohan had a great opportunity to extend the Waterford lead on 44 minutes when he took a sublime pass from Bastien Héry on the left-side of the penalty area but he failed to hit the target when nicking the ball over the advancing Brendan Clarke as the ball went wide of the far post.
Holohan got free on the back post to meet a right-wing cross from John Kavanagh minute into the second half but Limerick defender Shaun Kelly cleared off the line before Dave Webster did head the ball to the net only for referee Tomas Connolly to rule that the defender had fouled an opponent.
There was a big talking point on 79 minutes when Jeff McGowan went down in the area but referee Connolly booked the substitute for diving before Holohan headed over at the other end minutes later after some magic from Bastien Héry out on the left-wing.
The Blues did get a second goal that their dominance deserved on 84 minutes when Tony Whitehead brought down Izzy Akinade in the area. Referee Tomas Connolly pointed to the spot and Paul Keegan send the away fans wild in that end of the ground when notching the spot kick to ensure all three points.
LIMERICK FC: Brendan Clarke, Shaun Kelly, Killian Cantwell, Tony Whitehead, Cian Coleman, Shane Duggan, Connor Ellis, Will Fitzgerald, Billy Dennehy, Darren Dennehy (Killian Brouder `46), Barry Maguire (Karl O’Sullivan `61)
WATERFORD FC: Lawrence Vigouroux, John Kavanagh, Kenny Browne, Dave Webster, Dylan Barnett, Paul Keegan, Stanley Aborah, Bastien Héry, Gavan Holohan (Derek Daly `88), John Martin (Izzy Akinade `65), Courtney Duffus (Sander Puri `83)
Referee: Tomas Connolly (Dublin)
