Wexford FC 0
Waterford FC 2
Matt Keane
Two goals, a clean sheet and three points secured. That was the outcome from a Waterford point of view in Ferrycarrig Park on Friday night last.
Playing their first game since the departure of manager Ian Morris, the Blues just simply had to win this game following the two disastrous two home defeats over the Easter weekend.
The Waterford team that started against Wexford last Friday.
Gary Hunt and David Breen took charge of the team and they made just one change from the starting eleven against Cork City on Easter Monday with Tunmise Sobowale replacing Darragh Power at right full-back.
This win has taken the team on to 17 points which is not a spellbinding total but nevertheless it keeps them at the right end of the standings.
Phoenix Patterson proved to be the star of the show by scoring two excellent goals in each half of the contest.
Playing under the guidance of Hunt and Breen the defence looked solid and Brian Murphy had very little to deal with between the posts. Eddie Nolan led the defence brillianty during the 90 minutes. The midfield players worked hard and Yassine En-Neyah had his best game since he came to the club from Shelbourne.
Louis Britton was strong up front and Cian Kavanagh looked sharp when he replaced Britton with ten minutes remaining.
Timi Sobowale on the attack for the Blues against Wexford.
The squad will not play again until the May Bank Holiday Monday (RSC, 2pm) when Athlone Town arrive so they can prepare well for that match which they should win going on all known form.
The Blues opened the scoring with a goal in the ninth minute when Phoenix Patterson got on the end of a Richard Taylor pass and beat three players before curling a right-footed shot to the far corner past Alex Moody.
Wexford were nearly handed an equalising goal on 19 minutes when Brian Murphy’s clearance fell to the feet of Harry Groome who sent a pass to Conor Barry but his shot was deflected out for a corner kick.
Blues striker Louis Britton takes on the Wexford defence.
There was a chance for the Blues at the other end four minutes later when Patterson’s dangerous free kick was just missed by Richard Taylor at the back post before Eddie Nolan put in a brilliant last ditch tackle to deny Dobbs a clear shot at goal at the other end on 25 minutes.
Nolan was in the thick of the action once again sixty seconds later when Jack Doherty teed up the ball for Aaron Dobbs, who looked certain to put the ball past keeper Murphy, but the Blues skipper got back superbly to take the ball off the toe for the attacker.
A sweeping move from the home side two minutes into the second half created a chance for Conor Barry but his left-footed shot cleared Brian Murphy’s crossbar.
Yassine En-Neyah in control for the Blues against Wexford.
Waterford thought that they had doubled the lead on 56 minutes when Patterson put the ball on a plate for Louis Britton but his point blank header was somehow kept out by keeper Alex Moody as was the rebound from Shane Griffin.
Phoenix Patterson settled the nerves of the visiting faithful on 69 minutes when he stepped over a 30-yard free kick after a foul on Shane Griffin, and rifled a cracking right-footed effort to the left-hand corner past keeper Moody.
It was a proud moment for Academy player Liam Kervick as he made his first appearance of the season when he was introduced for Roland Idowu on 77 minutes, and he was nearly celebrating a third Waterford goal within seconds.
Wexford went close to pulling a goal back with just over a minute remaining when Jack Doherty sent over a delivery that picked out the run of Aidan Friel, but his angled effort came back off the bar as the Blues saw out four added minutes out to keep a big clean sheet.
Wexford FC: Alex Moody, Adam Wells, Len O’Sullivan (Thomas Considine ’71), Joseph Manley (Aidan Friel ’46), Lorcan Fitzgerald, Paul Cleary, Harry Groome (Dinny Corcoran ’81), Jack Doherty, Conor Crowley (Jordan Tallon ’81), Aaron Dobbs, Conor Barry (Conor Davis ’71).
Waterford FC: Brian Murphy, Tunmise Sobowale, Eddie Nolan, Kilian Cantwell, Richard Taylor, Niall O’Keeffe, Yassine En-Neyah, Shane Griffin, Phoenix Patterson, Louis Britton (Cian Kavanagh ’81), Roland Idowu (Liam Kervick ’77).
Referee: Mark Moynihan (Dublin). Assistants Shane O’Brien and Jason Moore.
