Reaching up: Waterford's Tommy Prendergast jumps for the dropping ball with Longford's Kevin Smyth and Brian McElvaney. | Photo: Michael Kiely
Waterford 0-10; Longford 1-7
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Waterford moved to joint-top of Division 4 after a lacklustre draw with Longford at Fraher Field on Sunday last but in doing so lost more valuable league points which could be crucial as the National League comes to a conclusion.
Glenn Ryan’s men got off to a dream start when they converted a penalty with scarcely a minute on the clock. Referee Richard Moloney awarded the spot-kick for something that was not obvious to those in the stand, but in fairness to the Waterford players there were no protests directed in the way of the Limerick man or his team of officials.
Francis McGee duly slotted the ball low and hard past Tom Wall in the Waterford goal and relegated Longford, still without win in the league despite being fancied to go straight back to up, followed up with a point from a Jamesie Martin free.
Playing with the wind, Waterford’s first score came in the 10th minute when Brian Wall pointed a free and just two minutes later they kicked a second pointed from a free 45 metres out by Michael Donnelly.
Brian Wall hit a third Portlairge point on 16 minutes to cut the visitors’ lead to the minimum. Yet Waterford could have been dead and buried just seconds later had luck been on the side of ‘The Slashers’.
Jamesie Martin collected the ball from a long delivery into the full forward and worked his way towards goal. He saw a terrific effort from an acute angle fly past Tom Wall but the ball hit the base of the post and rebounded out to Paul Kelly whose hurried shot on the volley from five yards ballooned both high and wide.
After that let-off Niall Hennessy levelled matters with 23 minutes played when he punched over a point after making his way down the left hand side, but Longford were soon back in front after Jamesie Martin and Francis McGee raised white flags.
Waterford hit points at the end of the half, firstly from a Brian Wall free and then a Tommy Prendergast effort in stoppage time send the teams in level at the break.
See The Munster Express newspaper for full match report.
