Waterford comeback ensures safety

Shamrock Rovers 1 Waterford United 2: Though a far cry from days of yore when these two rivals competed against each other for the spoils at the business end of the table, emotions ran equally high at Dalymount Park as Waterford came from behind to earn their Premier Division salvation and plunge Shamrock Rovers into a battle for theirs via a play-off.

Fully conscious of what was at stake in what was the biggest match the club had played in years, a reshaped Rovers team, ravaged by four suspensions, took the game to Waterford and deserved their morale-boosting 16th minute lead.

It arrived from the first corner of the night, whipped over by Tony Sheridan. Gavin McDonnell won the header to put the ball back across goal for the neglectfully marked Willo McDonagh who turned to shoot home from just a couple of yards out.

That came just a minute after Waterford's first real break forced Barry Murphy into a full-length diving save from Colm Heffernan's well-struck shot from some distance after he had determinedly brushed aside the challenge of Brian Shelley.

Stung by the concession of the goal, Waterford gradually came more into the game and Vinny Sullivan ought to have done better than plant his header from Stephen Grant's cross well over the bar.

Well in the game now, further negligent defending from Rovers allowed Crowley win a header from Heffernan's corner which, thankfully for the home side, was way off target.

The game died somewhat for much of what remained of the first half.

The only other opening coming in stoppage time when McDonagh pulled the ball back for Mark Rutherford, who cut inside a defender to curl a shot off his weaker right foot wide of Packie Holden's left-hand post.

Chasing the game hard on the resumption, Waterford virtually laid siege to the home goal as Rovers had to defend in depth.

That defence appeared to be holding firm, epitomised by a superb tackle by right back Cathal Sweetman on Heffernan who looked to be through on goal from Kevin Waters's sublime pass.

Left back Paul Malone then got his body in the way to block out a shot from Sullivan as the pressure mounted.

It finally told on 63 minutes when a mistake gifted Blues their equaliser. Rovers' stout defending counted for nothing as a miskick by Gavin McDonnell allowed Crowley get possession and the midfielder drilled his shot under Murphy from a tight angle.

Worst followed six minutes later. Malone was booked for a challenge on Waters on the right edge of the Rovers box.

But the real punishment was to follow as Waters low free-kick took a wicked deflection to beat Murphy at his near post.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Sweetman, Shelley, McDonnell, Malone (Daniel, 86 mins); Quigley (A Roche, 70 mins), Tracey (Manley, 78 mins), McDonagh, Rutherford; L Roche, Sheridan.

WATERFORD UNITED: Holden; Andrews, Mulcahy, Purcell, Finn; Crowley, Lester, Grant, Heffernan; Sullivan, Waters.

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).