Waterford FC returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Kerry FC in the RSC on Friday night.
A Connor Parsons first-half strike along with second-half goals from Roland Idowu and Ronan Coughlan saw the Blues extend their unbeaten run to five games.
After an opening ten minutes where the Blues saw the majority of the ball, it was the visitors who created the first chance on goal when Matt Keane forced Sam Sargeant into a sharp save with a drilled effort from the edge of the penalty area on the 11-minute mark.
From the resulting corner, Sargeant brilliantly saved Leo Gaxha’s low effort onto his near post after the initial ball in wasn’t dealt with. Ethan Kos then came inches away from opening the scoring moments later for Billy Dennehy’s side, glancing his header narrowly wide of Sargeant’s goal from another set-piece.
After dealing with this early pressure, Keith Long’s side began to create more chances at the other end of the pitch, with Christie Pattisson and Ronan Coughlan both having efforts blocked from close-range, while Cameron Cresswell curled a free-kick narrowly wide from 30 yards.
Just after the half-hour mark, the home side thought they had opened the scoring from a corner kick, only for Arthur Nganou to save brilliantly on the goal-line after Kos had headed back towards the goal.
However, the Blues didn’t have to wait much longer for the opener, as eight minutes before the break they found the opener through Connor Parsons. Ronan Coughlan’s initial cross was only half-cleared to Roland Idowu, who’s shot was then also blocked before the bouncing ball fell to Parsons just inside the Kerry box as he fired an unstoppable shot through a host of bodies to give the Blues the lead just before half-time.
Ronan Coughlan headed a Barry Baggley free-kick narrowly wide after the break, before Roland Idowu shot wide after Niall O’Keeffe had played the attacking midfielder through.
With the Blues seeing more of the ball, and the visitors dropping deeper into their own half, the Blues doubled their lead after 66 minutes in fine fashion through Roland Idowu. Ryan Burke linked up with Connor Parsons who fed Idowu the ball 25 yards out, before he curled beyond Nganou into the top-right corner to give the Blues some breathing space.
The visitors continued to try get back into the game, and almost did so with 20 minutes remaining. Leo Gaxha cut in from the left-wing, before his effort deflected off Niall O’Keeffe as Sam Sargeant had to save with his feet to keep hold of his clean sheet.
Substitutes Serge Atakayi & Romeo Akachukwu both threatened in the closing stages, before Ronan Coughlan finished off the scoring in injury time. Roland Idowu’s ball over the top caused confusion in the visitor’s defence, and Coughlan held off the retreating defender to tap home into an empty net to round off the scoring for the Blues.
A quick turn-around for Keith Long’s side, as the Blues make the short journey to Ferrycarraig Park on Monday evening to face Wexford FC in a 6pm kick-off.
Waterford FC: Sargeant; Nevin (18’ O’Keeffe), Baker, Phillips (c), Burke; Baggley, Idowu, Pattisson (74’ Perry), Cresswell (62’ Akachukwu), Parsons (74’ Atakayi); Coughlan.
Kerry FC: Nganou; Vasiu (81’ Gleeson), Barrett, Williams, Hannafin (59’ O’Connell), Kos; McGrath, Coughlan (46’ Teahan), Keane (59’ Silong), Gaxha (c); Kelliher (67’ Brosnan).
Attendance: 1,484.
