Tommy Lonergan fired Waterford FC to a dramatic victory over Shelbourne at Tolka Park as Graham Coughlan’s side signed off their league campaign in style ahead of next week’s FAI Cup final.
In a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, the Blues twice fought back before Lonergan’s late header secured all three points, a seventh-place finish and the Premier Division Golden Boot for the in-form striker.
Shelbourne started brightly and should have opened the scoring after seven minutes when Kerr McInroy raced clear, only for Stephen McMullan to make a smart save.
The goalkeeper’s intervention merely delayed the inevitable. Two minutes later, the home side worked the ball neatly down the left and McInroy finished emphatically beyond McMullan to put Damien Duff’s side in front.
Waterford responded positively. Conan Noonan tested Ed Beach from distance before Padraig Amond was denied on the rebound as the visitors searched for a route back into the game.
The hosts remained dangerous and squandered a glorious opportunity to double their advantage midway through the half when Sean Moore somehow fired wide from close range after finding himself completely unmarked in the area.
That miss proved costly.
With Shelbourne briefly reduced to ten men while Evan Caffrey received treatment, Waterford struck. Amond linked up cleverly with Evan McLaughlin, who surged into the box before burying an angled finish beyond Beach on 38 minutes.
The equaliser transformed the mood of the contest and the Blues emerged after the break with renewed purpose.
Seven minutes into the second half they took the lead. Lonergan created the opening with an excellent delivery from the left and Amond rose highest to thunder a header past Beach for his 15th league goal of the campaign.
Shelbourne nearly responded immediately but McInroy’s free-kick rattled the post after Hayden Cann had been penalised on the edge of the area.
At the opposite end, Beach produced one of the saves of the night to somehow prevent John Mahon from finding the top corner with a powerful header from Benny Couto’s free-kick.
The home side eventually restored parity after 69 minutes. A well-worked short corner created space for former Waterford midfielder JJ Lunney, whose drilled left-footed strike from outside the area beat McMullan.
Momentum appeared to have swung in Shelbourne’s favour and only a remarkable save from McMullan denied Sean Boyd shortly afterwards, the Waterford stopper turning a close-range header onto the post.
With both sides pushing for a winner, chances continued to appear. Noah Mawene came close for the Blues with a curling effort that drifted narrowly wide following good work from Dean McMenamy and Luke Heeney.
The decisive moment arrived three minutes from time.
After winning a free-kick on the right flank, Lonergan became both creator and finisher. Couto’s inswinging delivery found the striker timing his run perfectly and he powered a superb header beyond Beach to spark celebrations among the travelling support.
It was a fitting conclusion to a memorable league season for the 22-year-old, whose 16th goal of the campaign delivered victory, seventh place and individual honours in one decisive moment.
SHELBOURNE: Beach; Caffrey (Untergrabner 38), Casey, Ledwidge, Norris; Henry-Francis, McInroy (Odubeko 63), Lunney, Kelly; Moore, Martin (Boyd 63).
WATERFORD FC: McMullan; Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto; Voilas (Ashton 84), Mawene (Amedu 90+1), McLaughlin (McMenamy 77), Noonan; Lonergan, Amond (Heeney 77).
