Blues full back Emmett Coakley in control against Wexford Youths at the RSC last Saturday.
Two teams at the wrong end of the table shared the points on offer at the RSC on Saturday afternoon last. This was the first game the Blues played under the watchful eye of their new manager Derek Browne.
He watched the game from the stand as Tommy Griffin took charge of the side for the last time.
Waterford United goalkeeper Matthew Sheehan was called into action to make a smart save to deny the visiting outfit the lead inside eight minutes of the first half when Paul Brennan took possession on the right-side of the penalty area but his low shot was well saved.
Sean Duffy cracked in a free kick for the Blues on 17 minutes but his effort was saved by Wexford Youths keeper Dylan Furlong
The visitors struck for the lead goal ten minutes later when keeper Sheehan failed to deal with a cross from Seamus Casey and Eoin Donnelly found the net with the close range rebound.
Blues first team player Aaron O’Connor nearly brought his side level with a stinging free kick on 31 minutes but keeper Furlong saved.
Waterford made two changes at the half time break with the introduction of both Alan Fitzsimons and Jake Mooney, with the latter proving a vital change as he struck for the equalising goal on 56 minutes.
A class through ball from Aaron O’Connor from the left side of the penalty area released Jake Mooney, who was very unfortunate to flagged offside for what looked a perfect goal minutes earlier, but this time the flag stayed down as the winger fired a low right-footed shot to the far left-corner of the net from 16 yards.
Paul Brennan did have a chance to regain the lead for Wexford Youths on 66 minutes when he took a pass from Andrew Wall but his well struck right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area was just wide of Matthew Sheehan’s right-hand post.
The creativity of Jake Mooney nearly saw the Blues strike the front seven minutes later when he took control of the ball on the right side of the area but his effort flashed inches over the crossbar guarded by Youths keeper Dylan Furlong
Wexford Youths central defender Conor Sutton went close to putting the men from Ferrycarrig Park back in front nine minutes from time when he got on the end of a right-wing corner kick from David Doyle but his effort was deflected over for a fruitless corner kick.
WATERFORD UNITED: Matthew Sheehan, Dylan Walsh, Emmett Coakley (Sam Sheppard `73), Roy Butler, Eoin McCormack, Glenn Waters, Sean Cooke (Alan Fitzsimons `46), Aaron O’Connor, Adam Prendergast (Dean Walsh `81), Kyle Doherty (Jake Mooney `46), Sean Duffy
WEXFORD YOUTHS: Dylan Furlong, Neil Murphy, Darren Dempsey, Conor Sutton, Ryan Delaney, Paul Brennan, Seamus Casey (Dean George `65), Andrew Wall (Eoin McDonald `58), David Doyle, Daryl Power, Eoin Donnelly (Conor Maher `85)
REFEREE: Johnny Walsh (Tipperary) assisted by Adam Tszample and Andrew Mullally
