Mikie Rowe on the attack for the Blues
of the FAI Cup in Frank Cooke Park
on Friday night last when they were
humbled by intermediate outfit Tolka
Rovers.
This was as bad as it gets from a
local point of view and new manager
Roddy Collins admitted after the
game that the team needs a complete
overhaul.
On the evidence of this horrific
display it’s clear many of the players
are simply not good enough to cope
at this level.
The Blues opened up brightly
enough and almost took the lead after
12 minutes. Jack Doherty sent over
a cross from the left which was met
by Willie John Kiely but his header
was parried by the Tolka Rovers goalkeeper
Craig Sexton.
The ball broke lose to Greg Peel but
his effort was held by Sexton.
The hosts weathered that early
onslaught from Waterford and took the
lead on 23 minutes. Adam Crowther
played the ball through a Waterford
defence that opened up like the Red
Sea and Mark Moran took full advantage
by beating the stranded Matthew
Connor who got a hand to the ball but
was unable to prevent Tolka Rovers
from going in front.
Five minutes later Roddy Collins
whipped off Greg Peel and replaced
him with Anthony McAlavey. That
decision did improve matters slightly
and Shane Dineen went close with a
long range effort on 35 minutes but
his shot went inches wide of Craig
Sexton’s left upright. The visitors
fell further behind six minutes after
the change of ends. Brian Nolan lost
control of the ball 25 yards from
goal and when the Waterford defence
Blues humbled by non league Tolka Rovers
once again failed to deal with what
appeared to be a harmless situation
Adam Crowther sent over a low cross
from the left to Mark Tonnley and he
had an easy task to touch the ball to the
net from 10 yards range. Willie John
Kiely pulled Waterford back into the
game on 57 minutes when he prodded
home a through ball from Glen Hawe
but that was a good as it got for a Blues
team that looked flat for long periods.
Mark Tonnley received a red card
from the referee on 83 minutes following
an outburst after a tame clash with
Brian Nolan and Waterford United
were also reduced to ten players five
minutes later when Anthony McAlavey
got involved in a silly incident
with an opponent. This was a sad
night for the Waterford club and the
supporters and there is no doubt the
coming weeks will be interesting to
say the very least.
TOLKA ROVERS: Craig Sexton, Jonathan
Meleady, Niall O’Reilly, Alan McDemott, Michael
Lynch, Mark O’Neill, Luke Kelly, Denis Moran,
Adam Crowther, Mark Tonnley, Sean Gannon.
SUB: Robert McGuinness for Moran (90 mins)
WATERFORD UNITED: Matthew Connor,
Dean Reidy, Shaun Corcoran, Dylan Mernagh,
Shane Dineen, Brian Nolan, Glen Hawe, Ethan
Boyle, Willie John Kiely, Jack Doherty, Greg Peel.
SUBS: Anthony McAlavey for Peel (28 mins)
Mike Rowe for Doherty (56 mins) Patrick
Fitzgerald for Reidy (77 mins)
REFEREE: Michael O’Connor (Kildare)
