FC Carlow 1 Waterford United 3 (aet)
Waterford United are through to the last eight of the EA Sports League Cup following a real battle at a cold and windy Valley Ground in Co Carlow on Monday afternoon.
The pitch in Ballon is a tight venue but the playing surface was excellent but with the home side playing all 10 outfield players behind the ball it made life very difficult for the red-hot Blues.
This latest victory means that Waterford have won their last eight games and are on a real high. Two second-half substitutes, Kevin Waters and Graham Cummins, won the game for Stephen Henderson’s men in extra time.
The home side took the lead after 12 minutes. Thomas Brennan took a throw-in from the right and when Neale Phelan controlled the ball he fired past United goalkeeper Kevin Burns from 20 yards.
Willie John Kiely equalised six minutes later, touching home a left-wing cross from Declan Woodgate. Waterford missed a number of good chances before the break. Carlow soaked up Waterford pressure after the change of ends though United did have the ball in the net on 78 minutes when Kiely bundled a Kevin Waters corner kick over the line. The referee awarded the goal but his assistant Rhona Daly claimed the home goalkeeper Jeff Moran was pushed and it was disallowed.
FC Carlow tired in extra time and Waterford took the lead five minutes from the end of the first period. Kevin Waters took a pass from Alan Carey and from 25 yards beat Moran who was wrong footed by a slight deflection off defender Adam Byrne.
Cummins sealed the result on 118 minutes by heading past the advancing goalkeeper following a long kick downfield by Burns.
Waterford will be hoping for a money-spinning home draw in the quarter-finals.
Waterford United: Kevin Burns, Alan Carey, Kevin Murray, Kenny Browne, Seamus Long, Joe Mulcahy, Kieran Fitzgerald, John Kearney, Declan Woodgate, David Grincell, Willie John Kiely. Subs: Kevin Waters for Long (65 mins) Graham Cummins for Grincell (80) Gary Dunphy for Mulcahy (90).
