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Waterford FC fell to defeat to the hands of Galway United on Friday evening in their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash, as a first-half strike from Galway United’s Patrick Hickey gave the hosts a narrow 1-0 win over Keith Long’s side at Eamonn Deacy Park.

It was for the second-time this season as the Blues travelled to the West of Ireland and tasted defeat as the previous meeting finishing 2-1 in favour of the hosts with their most recent clash at the RSC ending in scoreless stalemate.

The Blues were forced into the two changes for this game as Rowan McDonald, who has been instrumental in the middle of the park, missed out with a calf injury with Christie Pattisson also forced to miss the battle with John Caulfield’s side through injury.

After forcing the Waterford defence into a couple of early moments of defending, the home side did create a chance on ten minutes. Ed McCarthy sent in a left-wing cross that found Stephen Walsh, but he couldn’t direct his header on target before Sam Sargeant saved a Patrick Hickey header a minute later.

The Blues found themselves falling behind on 23 minutes when Ed McCarthy’s long throw from the right was touched down by Rob Slevin for Patrick Hickey, and he hammered the ball from close-range.

Waterford’s best chance of the first-half fell right on the stroke of half-time, when Ben McCormack played the ball down the right for Connor Evans who laid the ball to Padraig Amond only for the centre forward to see his right-footed strike from 14 yards come crashing back off the underside of the crossbar with keeper Brendan Clarke beaten.

There was a chance that came the way of Dean McMenamy on 55 minutes when he got on the end of a Darragh Leahy through ball down the left-side before bringing it onto his right-foot, but his low effort saw Clarke get down to save.

Leahy nearly capitalised on a rare mistake in the Galway defence four minutes later as Jeannot Esua failed to clear his line that allowed the skipper to crack in an angled effort, but Brendan Clarke was equal to the task.

Galway nearly doubled their lead from another long throw on 74 minutes when McCarthy’s delivery from the right was touched onto the back post, but Garry Buckley couldn’t direct his effort on target.

New signing Sam Bellis picked up a flicked pass from Ben McCormack out on the right three minutes later before putting a teasing ball to the front post, but Amond’s effort was blocked out for a Robbie McCourt delivery that Grant Horton headed wide.

There was another chance for Waterford as they piled on the pressure in the bid to get an equalising goal with Dean McMenamy firing in a shot ten minutes from time that Clarke also kept out.

Darragh Power found himself in acres of space in the area to take a pass from Ben McCormack on 82 minutes, but his goalbound effort was blocked before Gbemi Arubi had an effort blocked late on, as the hosts survived the remaining minutes to make sure of the points.

Galway United FC :Clarke; Esua, Brouder, Slevin (80′ Burns), Nugent; McCormack (46′ Hurley), Hickey, Buckley; McCarthy (80′ Uzowke), Walsh (52′ Lomboto) (89′ O’Sullivan), Keohane.

Waterford FC: Sargeant; Power, Horton, Radkowski (73′ Bellis), Leahy; McCourt (80′ Burke), McCormack, McMenamy; Evans (59′ Arubi), Amond, Parsons.

Attendance: 2,024