The Blues made five changes to his side for our trip to Oriel Park to take on Dundalk FC, with Cian Barrett, Conor Carty, Jesse Dempsey, Ronan Mansfield & Dean McMenamy all coming into the Blues starting-eleven ahead of kick-off.
It was the hosts who started quicker, with Declan McDaid firing an effort off the Blues post inside the opening two minutes, before just seconds later Tommy Lonergan got in behind the Dundalk defence to force Conor Kearns into a clever low save.
On the quarter-hour mark, Tyreke Wilson picked up the ball on the edge of the Blues area, as his goal-bound effort was headed clear by Tommy Lonergan inside the Waterford area to keep the contest level.
The Blues looked to respond on 20′, when Jorgen Voilas played Tommy Lonergan through on goal, as our number 18 saw a last ditch tackle from Mayoma Animasahun in the home sides defence denying Lonergan in-front of goal.
The hosts opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, when Ronan Teahan headed home from close-range after getting on the end of Daryl Horgan’s deep cross.
Waterford looked to get the score level instantly, as Jorgen Voilas fired over Conor Kearns’ crossbar having got on the end of Conan Noonan’s clever through-ball.
Tyreke Wison saw am effort of his own fly narrowly over Stephen McMullan’s crossbar inside the final minutes of the first-half, before Declan McDaid doubled the hosts lead lobbing the ball over Stephen McMullan after getting played through by Daryl Horgan to give Ciaran Kilduff’s side a two-nil lead at the break.
Jon Daly made two changes at half-time, looking to get back into the game in the second-half, as Trae Coyle & Sam Glenfield were introduced to the fray in place of Jorgen Voilas & Cian Barrett.
Danny Mullen had the first clear-cut chance of the second-half, heading into the hands of Stephen McMullan after getting on the end of Bobby Burns’ cross, as the hosts looked to extend their advantage. Moments later, McMullan was again called into action, getting down low to save Horgan’s effort from 20-yards.
The Blues continue to work, looking to back into the game, as on 63′ Conor Carty forced Conor Kearns into a finger-tip save in the Dundalk goal to deny the Blues forward, before substitute Pádraig Amond headed over the Dundalk crossbar just minutes after being introduced alongside Evan McLaughlin with the pair replacing Tommy Lonergan & Dean McMenamy.
After a lengthy pause in play due to Dundalk keeper Conor Kearns sustaining a serious leg injury after 68′, play resumed on 83′ and it was just two minutes after play resumed when Dundalk found their third through Daryl Horgan.
Dundalk substitute Eoin Kenny added a fourth in the final minute of normal time, finding the back of the net from close range, before there was 17 minutes added on following the earlier stoppage in play.
Six minutes later, Kenny added a second to make it five for the hosts to round off the hosts first win of the season.
Dundalk FC: Kearns (GK) (85′ Cherrie); O’Keeffe, Animasahun, Burns, T. Wilson; Teahan (97′ Tracy), Buckley, Groome (85′ Dervin), Horgan (C); Mullen (88′ Arubi), McDaid (88′ Kenny).
Waterford FC: McMullan (GK); Barrett (46′ Glenfield), Cann, Mansfield; Voilas (46′ Coyle), McMenamy (61′ McLaughlin), Heeney (C), Dempsey; Noonan, Lonergan (61′ Amond), Carty.
Attendance: 2,819.
