Rovers earn a point
RAFFAELE Cretaro ended Waterford’s perfect run at home this season when his goal at the end of the first-half earned the Bit o’Red a valuable point at the RSC on Friday night.
The Blues had not dropped any points at home this season prior to the visit of Ger Lyttle’s side on Friday night.
Kyle Callan-McFadden’s dismissal made the task all the tougher for Rovers, but Dave Webster’s red card levelled things later in the second-half.
Ger Lyttle made two changes to the side that drew with St. Patrick’s Athletic the previous week.
Kyle Callan McFadden returned from injury, with David Cawley missing out through suspension.
Adam Morgan was unavailable as a result of injury, with Greg Moorhouse taking his place.
The visitors looked to be under pressure from the off, with Callan-McFadden picking up a booking after just three minutes for a challenge on Bastien Hery.
Rovers endured the worst start possible when they went behind after just eight minutes.
Paul Keegan’s corner was not dealt with sufficiently by the Rovers rearguard, and a touch off Callan-McFadden saw Alan Reynolds’ side take the lead.
The hosts were well on top as the half went on, but Mitchell Beeney was not tested as much as one would have expected given Waterford’s dominance.
Courtney Duffus, who scored the winner in The Showgrounds when the two sides last met, saw his effort deflected wide as the hosts went in search of their second of the evening.
The Bit o’Red began to settle into the game and had a number of decent chances of their own.
Greg Moorhouse was twice denied by Kenny Browne, before Eduardo Pinceli’s ambitious acrobatic effort from Rhys McCabe’s free was straight at Lawrence Vigouroux in goals.
The injured Gary Boylan was replaced by Adam Wixted before the half-hour mark, and the former Drogheda man fired wide at the end of a move involving McCabe and Pinceli.
Moorhouse again poked his shot wide before Rovers were back level.
Pinceli’s perfect cross was nodded past Vigouroux in the Waterford goal by Raffaele Cretaro in the third minute of added time at the end of the first-half.
Paul Keegan’s free-kick was headed on by Dave Webster, but Pinceli got in the way to block effort, before Duffus had a glorious opportunity to break Rovers hearts once again. Cretaro’s underhit backpass to Mitchell Beeney was intercepted by the lurking Duffus, who took his time trying to round the Chelsea loanee.
Having eventually got his shot away, the brilliant John Mahon slid in to deny a certain Waterford goal.
The hosts were boosted on 70 minutes when Rovers were reduced to 10 when Rob Harvey handed captain Callan-McFadden his second yellow of the game.
But, the advantage lasted mere minutes as the Blues were soon reduced to ten men themselves. With Waterford about to take a corner, referee Rob Harvey brandished a straight red card for Dave Webster following a clash with Jack Keaney in the Rovers box.
Gavan Holohan and Duffus both tried their luck to maintain Waterford’s perfect record at home, but to no avail.
Rovers hosted Bray Wanderers last night, before they face Bohemian FC at The Showgrounds on Saturday night.
WATERFORD FC: Lawrence Vigouroux, Garry Comerford, Kenny Browne, Dave Webster, Derek Daly; Stanley Aborah (Rory Feely, 85), Paul Keegan, Bastien Hery, Faysel Kasmi (Gavan Holohan, 63); Courtney Duffus, Ismahil Akinade (Dean O’Halloran, 85)
SLIGO ROVERS: Mitchell Beeney, Calum Waters, Patrick McClean (Regan Donelon, 46), Kyle Callan-McFadden, John Mahon, Gary Boylan (Adam Wixted, 38), Rhys McCabe, Jack Keaney, Eduardo Pinceli, Greg Moorhouse, Raff Cretaro (Caolan McAleer, 68)
Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin).