National League Premier Division/Waterford Utd - 0 UCD - 0: A brilliant, full-length save by goalkeeper Packie Holden earned Waterford United a deserved point at the RSC on Saturday night in a game where neither side could take advantage of the many scoring chances created.
When Stephen Hurley unleashed a fierce, low drive from just inside the area on 66 minutes, the ball seemed destined for the far corner of the net. Holden threw himself across the goal to parry the ball which appeared to fall kindly for Conor Salmon before Paul Crowley arrived just in time to deflect the shot out for a corner.
Four minutes later, UCD goalkeeper Darren Quigley made a brave challenge on Willie Doyle as he was about to pull the trigger on a right-wing cross from Darryl Kavanagh.
Waterford just about shaded a first half in which both sides squandered other scoring opportunities.
United's Seán Finn went close in the second and 24th minutes, Niall Andrews headed wide from 10 yards in the fifth minute and Crowley should have opened Waterford's account on 16 minutes.
At the other end, Paul Whitmarsh had chances for the visitors in the tenth and 16th minutes while Tony McDonnell headed over the bar from a Hurley corner in the 11th minute.
Two minutes before the break, Holden did well to smother a Patrick McWalter header from a Hurley corner.
Waterford have now gone nine league games without a win - six defeats and three draws. Their last victory was against St Patrick's Athletic on April 29th.
A minute's silence was observed before the game in memory of the victims of the London bombings last week.
WATERFORD UNITED: Holden, Browne, Waters, Crowley, Breen, Mulcahy, Heffernan, Grant, Andrews, Bruton (Doyle, 59 minutes), Finn (Kavanagh, 70 minutes). Subs not used: Hayes, McCarthy, Fyffe.
UCD: Quigley, Mahon (Lynch, 85 minutes), Michael O'Donnell, Kenna, McNally, Tony McDonnell, Hurley (Murphy, 84 minutes), Dicker, Martyn, Whitmarsh (Salmon, 25 minutes), McWalter. Subs not used: Shortall, Gallagher.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).
