League Report: Waterford United 3 - 1 UCD

With off-field events have taken a turn for the worse, Waterford United were in dire need of a positive result this evening and thanks to a committed performance, some fine individual displays and the return of manager Roddy Collins to the dugout after a lengthy suspension, they got it.

In his programme notes Collins urged the club officials (who face the task of raising around 90k to see the club through the current season) not to panic. He also did some straight talking in relation to the future of up to seven of his squad members who he described as ‘earmarked’, adding that as many as five of those ‘may have to leave the club’.

But if the Blues’ scenario was not entirely positive before kick-off it was a whole lot more promising after 90 minutes of engaging football. It took Waterford just seven minutes to lighten the mood of their small but enthusiastic band of supporters when Anthony McAlavey set up Darren Murphy on the edge of the box. His first time effort propelled the ball beyond the dive of Conor O’Donnell in the UCD goal and into the bottom right corner of the visitors’ net.

The war drums in the main stand immediately sprang to life and Waterford were running well on a cocktail of confidence and adrenaline. UCD perhaps played the more aesthetically pleasing brand of football but this was an evening that was always more likely to reward passion than artistic intent.

Soon after the opening goal Waterford midfielder James O’Brien clattered a long distance shot off the UCD bar while, at the other end George Kelly missed a great chance to level the scores, steering a header wide from six yards out. Central defender Max Kouogun (the Student’s top scorer this season with four) also failed to hit the target from a similar distance following a corner.

Midway through the half Waterford cemented their position with an excellent second goal. Dylan Maguire fired in a superb cross from the left that captain Philip Gorman rose to meet with a firm and accurate header which found the top left corner despite O’Donnell’s best efforts to keep it out.

In the ten minutes before half-time UCD pressed hard and the Waterford goal was kept intact thanks to some courageous and dogged defending. The points were within sight for the home team and a scrappy start to the second period hinted that UCD were not about to change the narrative.

This was confirmed on the hour when disaster struck at the heart of the Student’s defence. A back pass to O’Donnell from their right flank was furiously chased down by McAlavey and O’Donnell’s hesitant response was seized upon. He shuffled away from the striker and chose a short pass to Kouogun, who showed no sign of wanting to receive it. He in turn was harassed into giving up possession 20 yards from goal and when McAlavey’s smart backheel found Gorman in open space he finished calmly past the UCD keeper to make it 3-0.

Only now, with the game all but lost, did UCD ramp up their game to the required level. Striker Jason Byrne was sent on to add some gravitas and the midfield department began to ping the ball about with admirable speed and accuracy. Suddenly Collie O’Neill’s side had found a sense of purpose.

Ten minutes from the end they got some reward for their belated awakening. A cross from the left was headed goalwards by Kouogun for fellow defender Tomas Boyle to nod across the goal-line. But it was too little too late and the closing stages were relatively comfortable for Collins and his charges.

After the final whistle there were hand-shakes all round but after the pleasantries, and in the shelter of the home dugout, Collins’ clenched-fist embrace of his assistant Aaron Callaghan betrayed just how much this win meant to the home team.

Waterford United: Kevin Burns; Robbie Buckley, Ian Sinnott, Colum Nugent, James Dermody; James O’Brien, Darren Murphy (Dean Reidy 82), David O’Leary, Dylan Maguire (Eoin Rhodes 66 (Shane Mackey 90)); Anthony McAlavey, Philip Gorman.

Subs not used: Matthew Sheehan, Richard Tobin, Dean Broaders, Aaron O’Connor.

Booked: Dermody (57)

UCD: Conor O’Donnell; Mark Langtry, Max Kouogun, Tomas Boyle, Sean Coyne; Gary O’Neill, Gregg Sloggett (Jason Byrne 63), Dylan Watts; George Kelly, Ryan Swan (Kieran Marty Waters 77), Jason McClelland.

Subs not used: Niall Corbet (gk), Josh Collins, Daniel Tobin, Jack Watson, Darragh O'Connor.

Booked: Langtry (x)

Referee: David Keeler

Attendance: 268

Extratime Man of the Match: Anthony McAlavey (Waterford United)