0 v 4 
WaterfordVideo
Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 May 2023 | 8:00 pm | LOI Men's First Division | 2023 |
Match Report
Waterford Keep Title Race Alive In Ballybofey Pillage
Waterford outclassed ten-man Finn Harps as they eased to a 4-0 win in Finn Park tonight, aided by wonder strikes from Ronan Coughlan and Dean McMenamy.
In a meeting of second-from-bottom against second place, the first half went exactly according to the script, Waterford dominant with Roland Idowu teeing up Connor Parsons who drilled wide with only four minutes elapsed!
Niall O’Keefe’s sweet curling strike then hit the crossbar before twenty minutes in, Dean McMenamy scuffed the jinking Idowu’s cross just past the post.
Despite Ryan Burke’s booking, Waterford were way ahead in all aspects and finally opened the scoring twenty-five minutes in.
Again, Idowu instigated it with a lovely, weighted ball to the overlapping O’Keefe wide right. His cross was a zinger and well repelled by Tim Heimer who was then helpless as Parsons pounced on the rebound ahead of Caoimhin Porter, to the delight of the men wearing white.
Coughlan doubled his tally five minutes later and this time, there could be no doubt that the goal belonged to him. A mazy dribble in from the left side of the area allowed him to craft room for a shot which nestled nicely in Heimer’s bottom left corner.
Two quickfire goals which silenced an already angsty Finn Park.
Shane Griffin almost scored Waterford’s third but Heimer heroically tipped it onto the bar. Killian Cantwell’s well-timed tackle on O’Donnell, the closest the hosts came.
With O’Donnell and Michael Harris feeding off next to nothing up front, it was a relief for Harps to make it to the interval just two goals down.
After a change apiece at the interval, Harps began brighter and mirroring last week at Bray Wanderers, O’Donnell attacked a header that dropped just wide.
But after fifty-six minutes, Harps’ hopes of clawing something from the game were hit with a hammer.
Daithi McCallion, the first player booked for a professional foul earlier, hacked down the gliding Griffin, a moment too late. The young Derry loanee looking understandably upset as referee Oliver Moran gave him his marching orders.
From there, Keith Long’s visitors resumed control and McMenamy atoned for his first half miss by adding a scorcher of a third, he collected Barry Baggley’s cute pass and let fly from range with a rocket that flew into the top corner.
With plenty of substitutions now entering the fray, Harps were on a mission to keep the score down.
Coughlan though, had other ideas, he won a soft-looking penalty after tangling with Porter and cooly converted the spot kick to ice Waterford’s already tasty cake.
The home youngsters thrust on by Dave Rogers were game until the end in a spirited showing but by then, the damage had been done. Harps hockeyed now twice by Keith Long’s side, 11-1 on aggregate is a bad look for a club, frankly, in disarray.
Finn Harps need some points fast if they are to avoid being cut adrift and they travel to treaty United, themselves on the end of a 0-3 battering by league leaders Galway United tonight.
That result will be the only blemish on an otherwise wonderful evening for Waterford, they face Longford Town next Saturday and, on this form, will have every optimism of staying fully in the promotion shakeup.
Timeline
| 23' | 3. Ryan Burke | |
| 26' | 10. Connor Parsons | |
| 31' | 19. Ronan Coughlan | |
| 4. Daithi McCallion | 33' | |
| 36' | 19. Ronan Coughlan | |
| Keith Cowan | 37' | |
| Michael Harris Filip Da Silva | 46' | |
| 46' | Ryan Burke Tunmise Sobowale | |
| 4. Daithi McCallion | 56' | |
| 4. Daithi McCallion | 56' | |
| Katlego Mashigo Kevin Jordan | 60' | |
| 63' | 27. Dean McMenamy | |
| 20. Sean O'Donnell | 70' | |
| 71' | Roland Idowu Wassim Aouachria | |
| 72' | 19. Ronan Coughlan | |
| Caoimhin Porter Damian Duffy | 79' | |
| 79' | Killian Cantwell Eddie Nolan | |
| 79' | Connor Parsons Thomas Oluwa | |
| 79' | Shane Griffin Christopher Conn-Clarke | |
| 90+2' | 9. Wassim Aouachria |
Past Meetings
|
(Round 7)
7 - 1LOI Men's First Division
Regional Sports Centre Waterford FC 7-1 Finn Harps FC |
|
(Series 31)
4 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre Waterford v Finn Harps |
|
(Series 20)
0 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park Finn Harps v Waterford |
|
(Series 13)
1 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre Waterford v Finn Harps |
|
(Series 4)
2 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park Finn Harps v Waterford |
|
(Series 18)
1 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park Finn Harps v Waterford |
|
(Series 9)
2 - 3LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre Waterford v Finn Harps |
1 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park Finn Harps FC v Waterford FC |
0 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre Waterford FC v Finn Harps FC |
3 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
Finn Park Finn Harps FC v Waterford FC |
4 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Regional Sports Centre Waterford FC v Finn Harps FC |
Ground
| Finn Park |
|---|
| Finn Park, Navenny Street, Stranorlar Electoral Division, Lifford-Stranorlar Municipal District, County Donegal, F93 Y27K, Ireland |
FULL TIME- It finishes 4-0 to Waterford as they keep up the chase on league leaders Galway, who also won tonight. Harps meanwhile are mired in a deep rut near the bottom of the division now
Four minutes of extra time, Harps' youngsters are showing spirit until the end here
into the closing stages- this has been a draining night if you're of a Finn Harps persuasion- Heimer denies Baggley a fifth
Raft of changes by both benches with Damian Duffy in for Harps and a triple Waterford change including Thomas Owula coming in
Coughlan converts calmly, low and steady into the bottom corner! 0-4 now
PENALTY TO WATERFORD
O'Donnell the third home player in Oliver Moran's notepad- second substitute for Waterford too as Wassim Aoucachria replaces Idowu
0-3 to Waterford, a wonder strike from McMenamy! He gets the ball from Barry Bagley and from the edge of the D, unleashes a rasper that screams into the top corner!
Katlego Mashigo sacrificed from midfield as defender Kevin Jordan comes on
McCallion fouls the gliding Griffin and sees his second yellow- he's off! Dave Rogers' night gets worse
Nearly one back for Finn Harps! O'Donnell heads just wide from Seamas Keogh's chip in
Slow start to the second half but with no update on the confirmed scorer of Waterford's first goal, we're giving it to Coughlan here at FinalWhistle unless we hear otherwise!
Back underway at Finn Park! Filip da Silva has replaced Harris for the hosts while Tunmise Sobowale replaces Burke for Waterford
HALF TIME: 0-2. Waterford in complete control and arguably should be out of sight
Six minutes added on at the end of the half after numerous stoppages
In the midst of all the bookings, Shane Griffin almost trebled Waterfords's lead but Heimer brilliantly tipped his shot onto the bar- Harps lucky to only be 0-2 down!
Home captain Keith Cowan tangles with Coughlan who reacts and both are booked in the skirmish
Daithi McCallion the first home player to receive a yellow card
That one is definitely Coughlans'! A mazy run inside the area gives the striker room to shoot and he guides the ball into the bottom corner, Harps staring down the barrel
Waterford justifiably ahead! Idowu again the conductor, slides in O'Keefe down the right, his cross is a ebauty and well bundled out by Heimer but Caoimhin Porter is beaten to the ball by Ronan Coughlan- unclear if it's his goal or a Porter OG- will get that confirmation when we have it
Visiting left-back Ryan Burke the first player carded tonight for a mistimed sliding challenge- from the free kick Shane McMonagle prods wide
Another good opening for Keith Long's men, Idowu's jinking feet wide right bamboozles the Harps defence but his centre is scuffed past the post by Dean McMenamy
First opportunity for Sean O'Donnell to stretch his legs on the wing but his progress is halted by Killian Cantwell's excellent tackle
CROSSBAR: Best chance so far, woodwork denies the visitors, Niall O'Keefe's curling effort denied by the bar with Tim Heimer stranded! Reprieve for Finn Harps
Waterford comfortable early on, Harps very much on the back foot so far
Connor Parsons takes aim for Waterford but his effort is wide, Roland Idowu pulling the strings so far
KICK OFF
Half an hour to kick off now- one to maybe watch out for later is Waterford substitute Dylan Warren, he's an exciting academy winger included in a matchday squad for the first time tonight! For Harps' new faces, Brendan McLaughlin made debuted (late) against Bray off the bench and will hope to get his first senior Ballybofey minutes in this evening
Following their 5-0 thrashing of Cobh Ramblers last Friday, Keith Long, unsurprisingly, names an unchanged Waterford side, dangerman Ronan Coughlan no doubt keen to keep his scoring streak going tonight
Dave Rogers has made one alteration to his starting eleven from last week's 2-0 loss at Bray Wanderers- Michael Harris, who came on as a threatening substitute in that game, starts ahead of the benched Filip da Silva
Good evening all and welcome to another Friday night rammed full of LOI action! Here our focus is in the First Division as second-from-bottom Finn Harps host second-placed Waterford, kick off at Finn Park is 8pm, team news on the way