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Waterford FC came from behind to book their place in the third round of the Sports Direct FAI Men’s Cup after the Premier Division side beat non-league and FAI Junior Cup champions Cockhill Celtic in front of a 1,487 crowd at the RSC on Friday evening last.

Ryan Burke had the first opportunity of the game, as the left-full found himself in an advanced position on seven minutes before his run was halted by Celtic skipper James Bradley, but the resulting Dean McMenamy free-kick from 25 yards cleared the crossbar of keeper Harry Doherty.

It took a brilliant save from Waterford keeper Matt Connor to keep the visitors at bay two minutes later when Damien Duffy latched onto a ball after it looked as if McMenamy had been fouled, but the left-footed strike from the attacker was fingertipped around the right-hand post.

The visitors from Donegal caught out the Blues defence to open the scoring with 13 minutes on the clock when Corey O’Brien played the ball behind the defence that saw Luke Rudden beat Kacper Radkowski in the race for possession, and he held his nerve to beat keeper Matt Connor with a neat right-footed finish.

After Darragh Power was just wide with a fine volley on , the home side went close to levelling on 20 minutes when Ryan Burke cracked in a shot that was saved by keeper Doherty and from the resulting McMenamy left-wing corner-kick, Connor Evans headed a near post header off the crossbar.

The Blues did draw themselves level in the contest on 21 minutes when they worked the ball well down the left channel that saw McMenamy’s delivery fall at the feet of Gbemi Arubi, and he held his nerve to drill a low right-footed shot to the back of the net.

It was Burke that brought a good save out of the Cockhill Celtic netminder on 36 minutes when he stepped over a free-kick right of centre, but his low left-footed effort was well kept out as the Blues tried to get their noses in front before the break.

Waterford got their noses in front two minutes into the second-half when Darragh Power did superbly well down the right to put the ball on a plate for Ryan Burke at the back post, and his diving header beat keeper Harry Doherty.

Matt Connor produced a stunning one-handed save to keep the visitors at bay on 50 minutes when James Bradley put in a brilliant ball onto the head of Peter Doherty, but his towering header was brilliantly turned around the posts by the netminder.

Harry Doherty came to Cockhill’s rescue at the other end two minutes later when new signing Shane Flynn whipped in a right-wing corner that picked out the run of Connor Evans, but the keeper cleared his close-range effort off the line.

Substitute Padraig Amond did get free down the right-side ten minutes from the finish before putting in a teasing ball looking for Gbemi Arubi at the back post, but he couldn’t get on the end of the ball, and despite some pressure from the visitors in added time, they never looked like scoring again as the Blues held out for the win.

Waterford FC: Connor; Power, McCourt, Radkowski (72′ Leahy), Burke; O’Keeffe, McMenamy (72′ McCormack), Flynn; Evans (62′ Parsons), Bellis (62′ Amond), Arubi.

Cockhill Celtic FC: H. Doherty, L. McLaughlin, B. McLaughlin, P. Doherty, McColgan (59′ Breslin), J. Doherty, Mullan (85′ Graham), Bradley (85′ Logue), Rudden, McBride, D. Duffy (87′ S. Duffy).

Attendance: 1,487.