Rovers welcome Waterford
WATERFORD survived a first-half come back from Sligo Rovers to seal all three points at The Showgrounds on Saturday night.
That result sees Alan Reynolds’ side move seven points clear of Shamrock Rovers in fourth, while the Bit O’Red remain embroiled in a relegation battle.
Ger Lyttle’s charges did come into this game with confidence having entered the mid-season break in good form, picking up two wins from three.
In team news, Ally Roy departed the club during the week, Rhys McCabe missed out through suspension, while Adam Morgan was absent due to an abdominal problem.
Gary Boylan will miss the remainder of the season as a result of an ACL injury.
The hosts got off to the worst start possible, when Waterford took the lead after just four minutes.
Having won a free-kick from the edge of the box, Stanley Aborah stepped up and curled his free past Mitchell Beeney to take the lead early doors.
Caolan McAleer had Rovers’ first shot of the game, but he fired straight at Matthew Connor in goals.
Rovers’ start to the game got even worse when the Blues doubled their lead on 19 minutes.
Ismahil Akinade did well to nod the ball down into the path of John Martin, and with plenty of time the 19-year-old slotted nicely past Beeney.
The hosts, to their credit, were refusing to give up that easily, and 28 minutes on the clock, they were back in the game.
A gorgeous ball from David Cawley rolled nicely into the path of Adam Wixyed, the former Drogheda man smashed it into the back of the net to halve the deficit.
Just two minutes later, the sides were level.
Seamus Sharkey headed in straight from a corner to bring Rovers back level in what was a manic first-half.
It wasn’t finished just there, though. Three minutes later, the visitors were ahead once again.
From the edge of the box, Bastien Hery spotted an opportunity and tucked his shot neatly past Beeney.
It was going to take a huge effort from Rovers to get back into this game in the second-half.
Former Chelsea man Beeney was certainly the busier of the two keepers in the second-half, he did well late on to deny Akinade from close range.
That defeat was Rovers’ eighth defeat at The Showgrounds this season.
They travel to Bray this Sunday afternoon (ko 4pm) to take on the league’s basement side.
Sligo Rovers: Mitchell Beeney; Seamus Sharkey, John Mahon, Patrick McClean, Regan Donelon; Caolan McAleer (Darren Collins, 78), David Cawley, Jack Keaney, Adam Wixted; Greg Moorhouse (Liam Kerrigan, 62), Lewis Morrison (Raffaele Cretaro, 53).
Waterford FC: Matthew Connor; Kenny Browne, David Webster, Dylan Barnet; Sander Puri, Bastien Hery, Stanley Aborah (Shane Griffin, 46), John Martin (John Kavanagh, 78), Dean O’Halloran; Courtney Duffus (Dean Walsh, 92), Ismahil Akinade.=
Referee: Graham Kelly.