Next up in our League of Ireland preview series is Waterford F.C. The First Division side will be looking to go one step further than last season’s promotion/relegation play-off final and secure a return to the top-flight for 2024. The Blues will have automatic promotion in their sights and certainly have the players and resources to achieve that aim.
Location: Waterford Regional Sports Centre (RSC), Cork Road, Waterford
Manager: Danny Searle (Since June 2022)
Last Season Finish: 2nd (W: 20 D: 4 L: 8). Finished four points off league-winners Cork and lost 1-0 to UCD in the promotion/relegation play-off at Richmond Park in November.
Ins and Outs
The Winter has seen plenty of departures and incomings at Waterford. Blues fans won’t have happy to see two of their best attacking talents, Phoenix Patterson and Junior Quitirna, depart for Fleetwood Town. Patterson will be a big loss, after he netted 22 goals last year. New Waterford owner Andy Pilley also owns Fleetwood, and he will no doubt have been influential in the pairs’ moves to the English League One side.
Also among the outgoings are Spanish striker Raúl Uche, who has joined CD Guadalajara of the Spanish fourth tier, while fullback Richard Taylor has signed for St Mirren. Veteran ‘keeper Brian Murphy has retired.
If the new Blues owner has been responsible for taking some of his newly acquired club’s best talent abroad, his fingerprints can also be seen in Waterford’s new signings from the English lower leagues. Winger Connor Parsons has been signed from Wycombe while Giles Philips comes in from Danny Searle’s former team, Aldershot Town. Midfielders Christopher Conn-Clarke and Barry Baggley have signed on loan from Fleetwood. Dean McMenamy, Thomas Oluwa and Matthew Connor arrive in from the domestic scene.
The most notable of the twelve players re-signed by Waterford for 2023 include striker Wassim Aouachria, midfielder Roland Idowu and defender Darragh Power.
Club Aspirations
Waterford will have their crosshairs firmly set on automatic promotion this year. The club will regret their poor start to last season after they finished just four points short of the top-spot at the league’s conclusion in 2022. A disappointing showing against UCD in the play-off final was another low point and Danny Searle will be determined that his outfit don’t produce many performances like that this year.
Searle will also be aware that his side has some of the largest financial backing in the First Division and, despite signing a new long-term contract, he’ll be under pressure to deliver after Pilley’s investment in the club.
After coming back in numbers following Pilley’s takeover of the club last August, Waterford fans will also have high expectations of their side. Nothing less than promotion will be acceptable.
Key Men
It’s difficult to predict if any current squad member can live up to the form of Phoenix Patterson last year until the season gets going. However, the Blues still appear to have plenty of attacking talent. Wassim Aouachria provided 10 goals and three assists in 15 games after he arrived mid-season last year and should be a reliable scorer again.
The powerful Thomas Oluwa could also be a big player for the Blues in 2023. The forward netted 11 times for Athlone in the First Division last year. Fleetwood loanee Chris Conn-Clarke could also provide a threat from midfield, having netted nine times for Altrincham FC in the English National League already this season.
Darragh Power impressed at full-back in the second half of last season and the 22-year old could push on to become even more influential from the flanks this season.
Key Fixtures
Considering the false start of 2022, it will be important for this Waterford team to get results in their early fixtures versus Wexford FC (17th Feb), Longford Town and Galway United.
In those opening games the Blues face vital ties against two of their possible promotion rivals in Longford and Galway. Waterford’s fixtures versus the new-look Bray Wanderers and recently relegated Finn Harps should also be of huge importance as they look to set themselves above the other First Division contenders.
Season Prediction
A talented squad doesn’t guarantee success but if things click between this revamped Waterford team the club could very well earn automatic promotion. Expect this side to win most of their games and challenge for the play-offs at the very least.
