Graham Burke denied Waterford FC their first win of the season as the second half substitute earned a point for Shamrock Rovers from the penalty spot ten minutes from time in a tale of two handballs in their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division at the RSC.
After referee Alan Patchell failed to spot a handball from Jorgen Voilas in the buildup to Padraig Amond’s 70th-minute opener for the hosts, he awarded a harsh penalty to Rovers ten minutes later.
The Dublin official judged that Blues defender Jessie Dempsey had handled a cross from Jake Mulraney and Burke dispatched the spot-kick past Arlo Doherty to deny a hard working Waterford side victory.
After debutant Blues keeper Doherty denied Matt Healy when he cracked in a shot from 25 yards on six minutes, it was Padraig Amond, who had a chance at the other end seconds later, but his tricky backheel was also saved.
Danny Grant blazed over the Waterford crossbar four minutes later before Jack Byrne took a pass from Conor Malley nine minutes later, before letting fly from distance, but his right-footed effort just cleared Doherty’s crossbar.
The crossbar denied Rovers the breakthrough goal with 28 minutes on the clock. Byrne swung over a super left-wing corner to the back post that found the head of Enda Stevens, but his close-range header was somehow headed onto his own crossbar by Evan McLaughlin at the expense of another flag kick.
Byrne thought that he had put the visitors in front deep into first-half injury-time when his left-wing corner-kick ended up in the back of the net, but referee Alan Patchell spotted a foul in the area with a quick replay suggesting a push by Tunmise Sobowale on a Blues defender.
Waterford took the lead with a large slice of luck on 70 minutes. Former Rovers player Conan Noonan played the ball forward for Jorgan Voilas, who seemed to use his hand before crossing for Padraig Amond to finish, but the officials were unmoved, and the goal was awarded to delight for the home faithful.
Blues keeper Arlo Doherty made a stunning save to keep his side level on 73 minutes when Matt Healy picked out Jack Byrne with a neat pass, but his stunning effort was tipped over the crossbar in what a piece of goalkeeping brilliance.
Rovers drew level from the penalty spot ten minutes from time when defender Jesse Dempsey was judged to have handled Jake Mulraney’s right-wing that saw referee Alan Patchell point for a spot-kick, and Graham Burke dispatched it with ease past a helpless Doherty.
Danny Grant could have won the game for the visitors deep in second half added time when he got on the end of Tunmise Sobowale’s right-wing cross, but the attacker couldn’t direct his header on target.
Waterford FC: Doherty (GK); Zborowski, Mahon, Long (64′ Cann), Dempsey; Faria (64′ Voilas), McMenamy, McLaughlin (64′ Heeney), Coyle (76′ Carty); Amond (C), Noonan (90′ Mansfield).
Shamrock Rovers FC: McGinty (GK); Sobowale, Lopes (C), Stevens (76′ O’Sullivan); Grant, Malley (76′ Razi), Healy, Byrne, Asamoah (60′ Mulraney); Greene (60′ Burke), McGovern (60′ M. Noonan).
Attendance: 2,616
