Waterford FC 4
Limerick FC 1
Brendan White reports from the RSC
WATERFORD ENDED THEIR season in style with a comprehensive 4-1 win at home to Limerick in the RSC.
A brace from Dessie Hutchinson along with goals from Garry Comerford and John Martin secured a deserved win to end the season.
Limerick now must prepare for a promotion/relegation play-off next week against Finn Harps to stay in the Premier Division.
Waterford got off to a dream start after just three minutes. Barry Maguire’s clumsy challenge on John Martin gave referee Eoghan O’Shea no option but to point to the spot. Hutchinson stepped up to send keeper Jack Brady the wrong way.
Izzy Akinade could have doubled the lead but his header hit the crossbar before Limerick levelled on 10 minutes. Connor Ellis did well down the Limerick right and put it on a plate for Colm Walsh-Loghlen to level.
The goals kept coming as the home side took the lead again. Hutchinson’s curling free kick was met by the head of Garry Comerford and he powered his header past Brady to make it 2-1.
Connor Ellis fired across the goal from a good position as Limerick looked to level again, before Izzy Akinade forced Brady into a good save after John Martin’s through ball. Martin went close himself before half-time but his pulled his cross the target.
The second half didn’t start quite like the first but it was the home side who looked to add to their advantage. Bastien Hery found Derek Daly down the left but his powerful low strike was just wide, before John Martin curled wide.
But the third goal that the home side did deserve arrived 18 minutes into the second half. Akinade was fouled 20 yards from goal and Dessie Hutchinson’s deflected free kick found the back of the net with keeper Brady caught by the deflection.
Seven minutes later it was 4-1. Gavan Holohan, on the pitch just two minutes, curled the cross from the left toward the penalty spot and Martin brilliantly headed past Brady to secure a comfortable win.
WATERFORD: Matthew Connor, Noe Baba, Garry Comerford, David Webster, Dylan Barnett, Dean O’Halloran (Gavan Holohan 68), Bastien Héry (Paul Keegan 62), Cory Galvin (Derek Daly HT), Dessie Hutchinson, John Martin, Izzy Akinade
LIMERICK: Jack Brady, Kilian Cantwell (Karl O’Sullivan 59), Connor Ellis (Danny Morrissey 68), Tomas O’Connor, Colm-Walsh O’Loghlen, Darren Murphy, Adam Foley, Ger Barry, Aaron Fitzgerald, Colman Kennedy, Barry Maguire (Cian Coleman HT)
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea
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