Waterford FC scored four goals for a third time in their last four consecutive home wins as Keith Long’s side continued their impressive campaign to life back in the top-flight as they recorded back-to-back wins over Sligo Rovers to move onto 31 points in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table on Friday.
Waterford missed a gilt-edged opportunity to take the lead on six minutes. Padraig Amond fed Ben McCormack on the left-side of the area, and after his shot was saved, he sent the ball across goal for Christie Pattisson, but somehow from a yard out, he put the ball wide of an open goal.
Fabrice Hartmann should have scored for Sligo Rovers on 15 minutes when the right-winger twisted and turned in the Blues penalty area before bringing the ball onto his left-foot, but he blazed over Sam Sargeant’s crossbar from six yards out.
Ben McCormack tried to pick out the run of Grant Horton with a teasing left-wing delivery a minute later, but the defender had to stretch to meet the ball at the back post that saw his effort go wide of Ed McGinty’s goal.
Ellis Chapman carved out a chance for the visitors on 22 minutes when he found space out on the left-side, but his shot was well kept out by keeper Sargeant before Rowan McDonald teed up Dean McMenamy from distance two minutes later only to see his curling effort to go wide.
The home side struck for the lead goal ten minutes later when Darragh Leahy whipped in a left-wing cross that was partially headed clear by Oliver Denham into the path of Ben McCormack, and he hit a bouncer into the ground that looped over the head of Rovers’ keeper Ed McGinty.
Another good attacking Waterford move yielded a goalscoring chance on 42 minutes. Amond released Leahy down the left and after his cross was touched inside for Dean McMenamy, his deflected left-footed strike from the top of the area just cleared McGinty’s crossbar.
Darragh Power turned provider for Padraig Amond down the right two minutes later, but his angled effort was blocked out at the near post before Christie Pattisson also had a well-struck effort deflected out for a corner-kick on the stroke of the break.
It took a cracking save from Sligo keeper Ed McGinty to deny Waterford a second goal on 50 minutes when Dean McMenamy teed up McCormack on the penalty spot, but his left-footed shot was superbly turned around the posts.
The crossbar denied the home side just two minutes later when McCormack swung over a corner that found the head of captain Darragh Leahy, but after his header rattled the woodwork, the Christie Pattisson headed rebound was cleared off the line by John Ross Wilson.
A second goal deservedly arrived for Keith Long’s side on the hour mark. Grant Horton played the ball forward from his defensive position that wasn’t dealt with by Charlie Wiggett, and Connor Parsons took full advantage to fire a left-footed effort past McGinty from 14 yards.
Dean McMenamy won a penalty that yielded a third goal for a rampant Blues on 66 minutes. The midfielder was tripped on the right-side of the area by Oliver Denham after been put clear by Darragh Power, and as cool as a breeze, Amond dispatched the spot-kick past a helpless Ed McGinty.
Waterford continued to open up the Sligo Rovers defence and another big chance arrived nine minutes later when Darragh Power got in behind the last line to set up Dean McMenamy, but his low shot from 14 yards was well saved by Ed McGinty.
Wilson Waweru pulled a goal back for Sligo Rovers on 86 minutes when the striker beat Sam Sargeant with a close-range finish before Padraig Amond had the last laugh two minutes later with a cracking header for a fourth following a super Ben McCormack right-wing delivery for another great win.
Waterford FC: Sargeant; Power, Horton, Radkowski, Leahy (82′ Burke); McDonald (74′ O’Keeffe), McMenamy (82′ McCourt), McCormack (90′ Arubi); Pattisson, Amond, Parsons (90′ Evans).
Sligo Rovers FC: McGinty; Wiggett, Hutchinson, Denham, Wilson; Chapman, Morahan, Barlow (Wilson 74′ Waweru), Malley; Hartmann, Elding (63′ Fitzgerald).
Attendance: 2,392.
