Brandon Kavanagh of St Patrick’s Athletic in action against Dean McMenamy of Waterford during the SSE Airtricity Premier Division match at the Regional Sports Centre in Waterford. Photo: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
It was 2nd vs 5th before kick off and a chance for Stephen Kenny’s, St Patrick’s Athletic to take top spot in the League of Ireland Premier Division should Drogheda drop points away to Cork City. Waterford on the other hand were looking to stop the rot after two consecutive losses to Galway and Bohs.
The first real chance occurred after intricate play down the left hand side from Ryan Burke and Trae Coyle which set the left-back through. But Anang stood tall from Burke’s effort which rebounded to Noonan who was twelve yards out and what appeared to be an open goal. However, the young midfielder failed to make considerable contact with the ball.
The Blues appeared to be making the early running in the opening stages at the RSC. Amond headed over a half chance from a corner after sustained Waterford pressure in the south-east.
And the early pressure paid dividends in the fifteenth minute. A raking ball from centre-back Kacper Radkowski to Ryan Burke on the left channel put the Dubliner in acres of space. Burke lifted his head up and placed a lovely cross just inside the eighteen-yard box where leading man Pádraig Amond headed into the top corner at Anang’s near post. The young shot stopper was perhaps taken by surprise at Amond’s intent to go for goal from eighteen yards out with his head.
At the end of the first half, it was anything but a stellar performance from the Inchicore club who had yet to force McMullan into any sort of meaningful save. However, the Dublin club were starting to exert more pressure towards the latter end of the opening forty-five minutes.
Stephen Kenny sent his charges out early to begin the second half. A statement of intent from Pat’s was delivered to Waterford.
However, ten minutes inside the second half and Radkowski was at the start of the move again. A long ball played through the centre of the Pat’s defence sent Trae Coyle through. However, the winter signing failed to trouble Anang from close distance.
And the next big chance of the period also fell to the home side. A long ball fell to Amond who struck from twenty yards out, only to find the wrong side of the post with Anang scrambling to cover the bottom corner.
Pat’s were starting to become more adventurous. However, gaps at the back were now appearing for Waterford to break into where a scintillating counter-attack by the Blues was well cleared for a corner. The next goal was going to be crucial at the RSC with St Pat’s starting to put Waterford under serious pressure with twenty-five minutes remaining.
And the mounting pressure nearly told as Elbouzedi and Melia broke through on goal which led to a goalmouth scramble before former Blue Elbouzedi had his strike saved by McMullan.
But the Pat’s pressure finally told with just minutes of normal time remaining after a fantastic cross in on the left hand side left Blues defender Darragh Leahy heading into his own net. And with just minutes to go, Stephen Kenny’s side were hunting a winner.
After grabbing the equaliser, Pat’s were immediately on the attack. Leahy fouled just outside the Waterford box and Brandon Kavanagh stepped up to place a fantastic free kick past McMullan for a quick double salvo for Kenny’s men which ensured a late turnaround for the South Dubliners.
Waterford – 1 (Amond 15’)
St Patrick’s Athletic – 2 (Leahy OG 88’, Kavanagh 90’)
Referee – Kevin O’Sullivan
Attendance – 3,011
Waterford: McMullan (GK); Burke (Pouwels 90’), Leahy, Radkowski, Horton; McDonald (Glenfield 69’), Noonan (Bakboord 77’), McMenamy, Olayinka, Coyle (Lonergan 69’); Amond
Subs: Wade (GK), McCormack, Pouwels, Dempsey, White, Keane
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang (GK); Breslin (McLelland 64’), Redmond, Grivosti, Sjoberg (Carty 82’); Baggley (Lennon 64’), Forrester, Kavanagh; Elbouzedi, Melia, Mulraney (Power 64’)
Subs: Rogers (GK), Hoare, McLaughlin, Turner, Kazeem