Waterford - 1 Derry City - 3: Derry City clocked up their fifth successive win last night when they proved too strong for Waterford United at the RSC.
The home side, playing their first game under new manager Brendan Rea, tried desperately to raise their game but they wiped out all their hard work by conceding a succession of easy goals.
Derry opened the scoring on 18 minutes when Peter Hutton launched a long, hopeful lob over the heads of the United defence.
Killian Brennan timed his run perfectly and, after taking the ball down on his chest, turned sharply goalwards before steering his effort past goalkeeper Patrick Holden from six yards.
United, however, held their nerve and, 13 minutes later, combined to create an excellent equaliser.
Darryl Kavanagh started the move in the middle of the field, the ball was touched on by Dave Mulcahy to Paul Crowley, who lifted his shot over the head of the advancing goalkeeper David Forde.
After working so hard to get back on level terms, United gifted the visitors a second goal three minutes before half-time. This time it was Barry Molloy who lofted a high ball over the static Waterford defence and Mark Farren raced through the middle to chip into the net over Holden.
A minute later, United almost scored a spectacular equaliser but Forde launched himself high into the air to tip Crowley's powerful, 22-yard header over the bar for a corner.
Derry went further ahead eight minutes into the second half when United's leaky defence was unhinged again.
The ball broke from a melee in the middle of the pitch and Ciarán Martyn pushed it forward for Farren, who unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area. Holden rushed forward and managed to parry the ball but its momentum carried it across the goal line.
United have now gone 12 league games without a win and face the daunting prospect of an away game to league leaders Cork City next week.
WATERFORD UNITED: Holden, Andrews, Finn, Mulcahy, Doherty, Purcell, Kavanagh, Crowley, Sullivan, Banville, Heffernan. Subs: Waters for Banville (65 mins), Grant for Crowley (68 mins), Lester for Kavanagh (83 mins).
DERRY CITY: Forde, Hutton, Delaney, Higgins, Martyn, Beckett, Brennan, McGlynn, Molloy, Farren, McChrystal. Subs: Cash for McGlynn (78 mins), Murphy for Farren (82 mins), McLoughlin for Higgins (88 mins).
Referee: A O'Regan (Cork)
