Blues full back Dean Reidy wins this heading duel
Waterford United recorded their second home victory over Cabinteely on Friday night and in doing so moved off the bottom of the league for the first time in months. The Blues came out on top against the same opposition in May in what was Roddy Collins’s first game in charge.
The only goal of game was scored by the former Ipswich Town trainee Cory Galvin five minutes from full time. The Cork native let fly from 25 yards and his wonder goal lifted the spirits of the players and spectators alike.
The Blues should have opened the scoring inside the opening two minutes when a brilliant through ball from Cory Galvin sent Mark Walsh into the clear but the ball got caught underneath the feet of the striker as his right-footed shot was comfortably saved by Cabinteely keeper Cathal Gillen.
Galvin was in the centre of the action for the Blues once again on seven minutes when he linked up superbly with Anthony McAlavey on the left side of the penalty area but his left-footed shot was blocked out for a corner kick by defender Victor Ekanem.
Cabinteely created a half chance for their own on 24 minutes when Michael Brown got free down the left side that picked out defender turn striker Kevin Knight but after the ball struck the attacker, keeper Robert Birdsall misjudged the ball as he couldn’t keep it from going out for a fruitless corner kick.
Waterford had a decent opportunity to strike the front on 52 minutes when Mark Walsh got free down the right but after getting into the penalty area, he tried to pick out the inrushing Cory Galvin inside the area but defender Edward McDonagh got in a tackle.
Stephen Hanley carved out the visitors first chance of the second half two minutes later when a fine through ball from Richard Purdy set up the centre forward on the right side of the penalty area but his volleyed effort flew inches over the crossbar of keeper Birdsall.
The pressure continued to mount on the Blues goal as the Dublin outfit created another chance when Karl Byrne blazed over the crossbar two minutes later.
The home side however carved out a couple of opportunities of their own.
Anthony McAlavey did well down the left channel on 61 minutes when he put a cross into the area that broke to Aaron O’Connor but his goalbound effort was superbly blocked out by Victor Ekanem while Mark Walsh got on the end of a Robbie Buckley sixty seconds later, but defender Karl Byrne got in a vital tackle.
The wonderful piece of magic that lifted the Blues off the bottom of the table came when Cory Galvin went on an amazing run that saw him take the ball into the centre before he curled a most beautiful right-footed strike beyond the despairing dive of keeper Cathal Gillen from 25 yards.
Aaron O’Connor should have extended the lead deep into second half injury time when he found himself one on one with keeper Gillen after taken a pass from Evan Galvin but his effort was saved for a corner kick at the expense of a corner kick.
WATERFORD UNITED: Robert Birdsall, Robbie Buckley, Dean Reidy (Brian Nolan `49), Column Nugent,Shane Mackey, Ethan Boyle, Cory Galvin, Evan Galvin, Mark Walsh (Adam Prendergast `74), Anthony McAlavey,Aaron O’Connor
CABINTEELY: Cathal Gillen, Karl Byrne, Kevin Knight, Victor Ekanem, Edward McDonagh, Richard Purdy,Stephen Dunne, John McKeown, Sean Burke (SodiqOguntola `66), Stephen Hanley, Michael Brown
REFEREE: Eoghan O’Shea (North Tipperary)
