Waterford Utd - 0 Longford Town - 0 High-flying Waterford United entertained Longford Town at the RSC last night but, despite the Blues taking an early lead, it was the midlanders who dominated for long periods and they could well have taken all three points.
Compared to the exciting fare of recent weeks, this was a scrappy game in which United rarely sparkled as they struggled to cope with Longford's close marking and determination.
United took the lead after only eight minutes. Darryl Murphy received a clever through ball from Kevin O'Brien and raced 20 yards before unleashing a powerful shot on the run from just outside the area giving goalkeeper Stephen O'Brien little chance.
Longford Town equalised on the quarter-hour when Waterford defender Thomas Hughes put the ball into his own net.
The move was started out on the left by Alan Kirby and Shane Barrett fired over a low cross that was contested by Hughes and Eric Lavine. Goalkeeper Dan Connor dived full length and got a hand on the ball but was unable to touch it out for a corner.
Waterford almost scored as early as the fourth minute. John Frost crossed from the left and Alan Reilly took the ball down beautifully and side-stepped his marker before blazing over the bar from 14 yards.
Longford Town finished the first half with a flurry of goalmouth activity. Barry Ferguson saw his glancing header from a Sean Dillon cross skim the top of the crossbar while, on 44 minutes, Lavine was just wide from a Philip Keogh corner.
Town almost went ahead in first half injury-time but Connor parried a Lavine snap shot from an acute angle and defender Willie Byrne whipped the ball off the line to safety.
The visitors dominated in the early stages of the second period and Kirby and Gerry Murphy both went close. On the hour, a headed back pass by Kirby was pounced on by Murphy but O'Brien was quickly off his line to smother the ball before the striker could get in a shot.
On 75 minutes, a Barrett run down the right wing that saw him skip past David Breen and Byrne before crossing from the end line and it took a good save by Connor in a crowded goalmouth to cut out the danger.
WATERFORD UNITED: Connor, Hughes, Frost, Breen, Byrne, Reilly (Clifford, half-time), Mallon, O'Brien, Waters, Murphy (Cosgrave, 84 minutes), Sullivan (Wilson, 89). Subs not used: Leahy, Morris.
LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien, Dillon, John, McGovern, Ferguson, Gary Murphy (Foley, 76 minutes), Kirby, Sheridan, Lavine, Barrett, Keogh. Subs not used: Adrian Murphy, Alan Murphy, Perth, Dempsey.
Referee: David McKeown ( Dublin).
