UCD 1
Waterford 2
Dave Donnelly reports from the UCD Bowl
SUBSTITUTE DEAN WALSH scored a spectacular late volley as Waterford clinched their first win in six games in a vital six-pointer with UCD.
Zack Elbouzedi had given the visitors an early lead before Liam Kerrigan equalised midway through the second half. However, Walsh’s moment of magic saw the points go back to the Déise.
Just seven points separated the sides going in and the Blues’ poor form had seen them sucked back to the fringes of a relegation battle being fought by the Students and Finn Harps.
Waterford started the game with pace and vigour and got their reward early when Elbouzedi, playing his first game for the club in two months, opened the scoring.
The Ireland U21 winger dipped a shoulder and cut inside two UCD challenges before aiming a perfectly-executed shot into the corner past debutant goalkeeper Tom Murphy.
Alan Reynolds’ side had required their own goalkeeper, Matthew Connor, to be at his best to deny former Sligo Rovers man Kerrigan on his debut 30 seconds earlier.
Connor did brilliantly once more to deny the Tubbercurry native at full-stretch when the winger looked to have picked out the corner. His save from Paul Doyle after the break was even better as he got down low to deny the captain’s well-struck shot.
Connor might have done better to keep out Kerrigan’s equaliser shortly afterwards, as the winger’s strike squirmed inside his near post, following Doyle’s brilliant pass.
Walsh ensured Waterford didn’t leave with just one point to show for their efforts, however, when he slammed John Kavanagh’s raking pass home in the 86th minute.
UCD: Murphy; Farrell, Scales, McEvoy; O’Farrell, Keaney, Doyle (Kinsella Bishop 90+1), McClelland, Dignam; Kerrigan (Ryan 83), Byrne (Mahdy 80).
WATERFORD: Connor; Feely, Kouogun, Slevin, Kavanagh; Duggan (Poynton 83), Lunney, Holland; Galvin (Chvedukas 61), Elbouzedi, O’Connor (Walsh 74).
Referee: Paul Tuite.
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