Waterford 1 Dundalk 2
Second-half goals from Patrick Hoban and Ronan Murray secured a comfortable 2-1 win for Dundalk away to Waterford.
Despite dominating the first period, it took until the second half to secure the points.
Patrick Hoban saw his powerful strike blocked as Izzy Akinade got back on the line to make an important block early on before his header minutes later was just wide.
Waterford’s only chance of the first-half came from defender Dylan Barnett who drove forward down the left but couldn’t get enough power on the strike to beat Gary Rogers.
Three more chances arrived as Dundalk looked for the opener before the break. Patrick McEleney forced Waterford keeper Niall Corbet into a good save, Hoban’s free header missed the target, before Dane Massey’s header was also off target.
Five minutes into the second half full back Sean Gannon crossed from the right to find the leap of Hoban and he brilliantly headed into the far corner to make it 1-0.
Three minutes later it was 2-0 and game over. John Mountney picked up the ball on the right endline and played in Ronan Murray to roll the ball into the back of the net to double the lead and secure the points, before a late Dessie Hutchinson consolation for the home side.
Waterford FC: Niall Corbet, Rory Feely, David Webster, Garry Comerford, Dylan Barnett, Noe Baba (Dessie Hutchinson `70), Carlos Wilson (Cory Galvin `58), Gavan Holohan, Bastien Héry, Izzy Akinade (Derek Daly `58), Courtney Duffus
Dundalk FC: Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Sean Hoare, Dane Massey, Patrick McEleney, John Mountney, Dean Jarvis (George Poynton `83), Michael Duffy (Dylan Connolly `77), Patrick Hoban (George Kelly `79), Ronan Murray
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin)
St Patrick’s Athletic 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
Dan Carr scored a stoppage time winner to beak St Patrick’s Athletic’s resistance at Richmond Park.
Brendan Clarke looked to have frustrated Shamrock Rovers with three brilliant late saves in this Dublin derby by the Camac.
But with Latvian referee Mareks Kere’s watch a minute into added time, substitute Brandon Kavanagh’s cross from the right was met by the unmarked Carr who headed to the net.
The win consolidates third place for Rovers as they move three points ahead of Waterford who visit Tallaght Stadium next Friday.
St Pat’s edged the chances in a tight first half with Kevin Toner twice coming close to giving the managerless Inchicore side the lead with headers.
Rovers upped their tempo on the resumption with Jamie Lennon twice coming to St Pat’s rescue with blocks on efforts from Joel Coustrain and Gary Shaw.
Home keeper Clarke then came into his own to keep his side in the match with three superb saves.
Cosutrain skipped past two defenders to bring a save with his feet from Clarke on 73 minutes.
Six minutes later Clarke was there again, tipping over Dylan Watts drive after Saints failed to clear their lines.
The best was to come from the St Pat’s keeper four minutes from time.
Coustrain and Carr set up Brandon Kavanagh whose drive was brilliantly pushed away at full stretch by Clarke, before Carr finally found a way past him.
St Patrick's Athletic: B. Clarke; Madden, Leahy, Toner, Bermingham; Lennon, Desmond; R. Brennan (D. Clarke, 75), Clifford, Markey (Doona, 57); Keegan (Turner, 88).
Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Boyle, Grace, Lopes, S. Kavanagh; Bolger (Bone, 87); Coustrain, Finn, Watts, Carr; Shaw (B. Kavanagh, 65).
Referee: Mareks Kere (Latvia).
Cork City 3 Limerick 0
Cork City got their first league win since August 3rd as they were too strong for Limerick at Turner’s Cross.
A goal from man of the match Jimmy Keohane after 91 seconds provided the perfect start for the Rebel Army, though they needed a good Peter Cherrie save from Danny Morrissey to keep them ahead at half-time.
The lead was doubled eight minutes into the second half as Keohane brilliantly set up Kieran Sadlier, who sidestepped onrushing goalkeeper Tommy Holland and fired home.
But for Holland the margin would have been increased further, and in injury time City did get a third as Aaron Barry converted Sadlier’s corner.
Cork City: Cherrie; McCarthy, Delaney, Barry, Hurley; McCormack, Keohane (Phillips 68); Daly-Bütz (Holland 85), McNamee, Sadlier; Coughlan (Murphy 57).
Limerick: Holland; Kelly, Cantwell, Brouder (Kennedy 74), Tracy; Duggan, Coleman, Murphy (O'Sullivan 61), B Dennehy; Maguire; Morrissey (Ellis 72).
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).
Attendance: 2,486
Nathan Boyle’s 67th-minute goal earned Finn Harps a 1-1 draw away to Drogheda United in the first leg of the First Division final at United Park on Friday night. The home side had taken the lead through defender Ciarán Kelly after 13 minutes of the game.
