Wrapped up in a black overcoat and with a scarf rolled around his neck to keep out the bitterly cold wind which blew around Newbridge on Halloween night, Waterford United manager Gareth Cronin admitted this was welcome victory following four disappointing results which left his charged hopes of promotion hanging by a thread.
“We made life very difficult for ourselves out there tonight on what was a poor pitch. Somehow we are still in with a chance of winning the league and perhaps the Gods are looking down on us. I am saying novenas every day as I go to work.
“We had what you could call an ugly win tonight, but look we will take it and get ready for the home game with Shelbourne next Friday. That will be a must win game for us. It will be a case of all or nothing because we just have to win it, pure and simple.
“We must have a world record at this stage for conceding penalties. Fourteen is an incredible total. We have young defenders like Kenny Browne and Luke Fitzpatrick and they will have to learn when to tackle and when not to tackle inside the penalty area”.
When asked if his stay with the club will end following the last game of the season away to Monaghan United, Cronin said he wanted to remain at the RSC. “The club want me to stay on and that is by plan. We have to sit down and discuss things over the coming weeks but I want to stay on.”
