And life After Duff began with the kind of 2-2 draw in Waterford that has summed up the champions’ season.
There were moments of quality with mistakes and lapses in concentration to undo good work, indicative of some of the frustrations that built up over the course of the last six months and ultimately led to the manager’s resignation yesterday.
Shels did show resolve early in the second half to equalise almost instantly after falling 2-1 behind, but from a position of strength when Harry Wood scored the opener after just three minutes they gifted John Coleman’s side two goals through basic errors.
Wood scored the defining goal of the Duff era when he pounced in the box away to Derry City to deliver the Premier Division title last season.
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The dark days of November should feel a long time ago now as summer takes hold, but the events of the last 24 hours and the shadow of Duff’s exit will linger for some time to come.
Yet it was the Englishman who got off the mark here with the first goal of Joey O’Brien’s caretaker stint after just three minutes. Tyreke Wilson advanced on the left and delivered a cross that looked as if Mipo Odubeko should have connected with at the front post.
Perhaps his missed attempt to get a touch was enough to cause confusion behind him as the ball made it all the way to the back where Wood did what all good wingers should do and follow in for scraps.
He prodded home and Shels were celebrating. But not for long.
Five minutes later and Waterford were level, the equaliser a microcosm of the problems that have blighted the champions this season. What looked like an easy situation for Kameron Ledwidge to deal with on the edge of his own box resulted in a sloppy error of judgement and execution.
There was not enough pace on the ball as it came to him to head back towards his goalkeeper. A hooked clearance seemed the obvious choice but once he adjusted his body to play the header back Grant Horton anticipated the chance and was already sprinting beyond the centre back to latch onto the pass.
Conor Kearns tried to cut him off but Horton rounded him and with pressure from behind tapped into an empty net.
Other than one chance for Odubeko on the break after 20 minutes, when he cut inside from the left and drilled a low shot towards Stephen McMullan, the remainder of the first half was played out cautiously.
Waterford knew a win here, on the back of Friday’s victory over Bohemians, would bring them to withing one point of the champions.
And three minutes into the second half they had the lead, although it was merely the precursor to a maddening 60 seconds for both sides.
Kearns spilled Conan Noonan’s shot from just inside the box and it was veteran striker Amond who was alive and alert to the opportunity, following in from the right to fire first time under the body of the Shels goalkeeper.
The adrenaline would have still been coursing through his body as he watched Wood equalise from even closer range within seconds. Ali Coote kept danger alive on the left and drilled a shot-cum-cross that made it to him at the back post where he did the damage again.
As both sides emptied the bench to freshen things up at the end of three games in a week, it was Shels who provided the most sustained pressure. A Wood shot from distance was the closest they came though, as they worked the ball around the box without being able to penetrate a resolute Waterford defence.
And then the ball fell to substitute Daniel Kelly as Shels piled forward one last time in the seventh minute of stoppage time. He had acres of space on the right of the box and his powerful shot rocketed off the underside of the bar and away from danger.
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It would have been a dramatic end to what’s already been a hectic 24 hours, and at the end of it all Shels move up a place to fifth.
Waterford:Stephen McMullan; Grant Horton (Ben McCormack 83), Rowan McDonald (Kyle White 83), Darragh Leahy, Ryan Burke, Jesse Dempsey (Andy Boyle 61); Samuel Glenfeld (Dean McMenamy 72), Conan Noonan, James Olayinka; Padraig Amond, Tommy Lonergan.
Shelbourne:Conor Kearns; Sean Gannon, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson (James Norris 61); Evan Caffrey (Daniel Kelly 61), Mark Coyle (captain) (Ellis Chapman 74), JJ Lunney, Ali Coote (Sean Boyd 74), Harry Wood; Mipo Odubeko (John Martin 85).
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Life after Damien Duff begins with 2-2 draw for Shelbourne in Waterford
Waterford 2
Shelbourne 2
THIS WAS SHELBOURNE’S Day 1 AD.
And life After Duff began with the kind of 2-2 draw in Waterford that has summed up the champions’ season.
There were moments of quality with mistakes and lapses in concentration to undo good work, indicative of some of the frustrations that built up over the course of the last six months and ultimately led to the manager’s resignation yesterday.
Shels did show resolve early in the second half to equalise almost instantly after falling 2-1 behind, but from a position of strength when Harry Wood scored the opener after just three minutes they gifted John Coleman’s side two goals through basic errors.
Wood scored the defining goal of the Duff era when he pounced in the box away to Derry City to deliver the Premier Division title last season.
The dark days of November should feel a long time ago now as summer takes hold, but the events of the last 24 hours and the shadow of Duff’s exit will linger for some time to come.
Yet it was the Englishman who got off the mark here with the first goal of Joey O’Brien’s caretaker stint after just three minutes. Tyreke Wilson advanced on the left and delivered a cross that looked as if Mipo Odubeko should have connected with at the front post.
Perhaps his missed attempt to get a touch was enough to cause confusion behind him as the ball made it all the way to the back where Wood did what all good wingers should do and follow in for scraps.
He prodded home and Shels were celebrating. But not for long.
Five minutes later and Waterford were level, the equaliser a microcosm of the problems that have blighted the champions this season. What looked like an easy situation for Kameron Ledwidge to deal with on the edge of his own box resulted in a sloppy error of judgement and execution.
There was not enough pace on the ball as it came to him to head back towards his goalkeeper. A hooked clearance seemed the obvious choice but once he adjusted his body to play the header back Grant Horton anticipated the chance and was already sprinting beyond the centre back to latch onto the pass.
Conor Kearns tried to cut him off but Horton rounded him and with pressure from behind tapped into an empty net.
Other than one chance for Odubeko on the break after 20 minutes, when he cut inside from the left and drilled a low shot towards Stephen McMullan, the remainder of the first half was played out cautiously.
Waterford knew a win here, on the back of Friday’s victory over Bohemians, would bring them to withing one point of the champions.
And three minutes into the second half they had the lead, although it was merely the precursor to a maddening 60 seconds for both sides.
Kearns spilled Conan Noonan’s shot from just inside the box and it was veteran striker Amond who was alive and alert to the opportunity, following in from the right to fire first time under the body of the Shels goalkeeper.
The adrenaline would have still been coursing through his body as he watched Wood equalise from even closer range within seconds. Ali Coote kept danger alive on the left and drilled a shot-cum-cross that made it to him at the back post where he did the damage again.
As both sides emptied the bench to freshen things up at the end of three games in a week, it was Shels who provided the most sustained pressure. A Wood shot from distance was the closest they came though, as they worked the ball around the box without being able to penetrate a resolute Waterford defence.
And then the ball fell to substitute Daniel Kelly as Shels piled forward one last time in the seventh minute of stoppage time. He had acres of space on the right of the box and his powerful shot rocketed off the underside of the bar and away from danger.
It would have been a dramatic end to what’s already been a hectic 24 hours, and at the end of it all Shels move up a place to fifth.
Waterford: Stephen McMullan; Grant Horton (Ben McCormack 83), Rowan McDonald (Kyle White 83), Darragh Leahy, Ryan Burke, Jesse Dempsey (Andy Boyle 61); Samuel Glenfeld (Dean McMenamy 72), Conan Noonan, James Olayinka; Padraig Amond, Tommy Lonergan.
Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Sean Gannon, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson (James Norris 61); Evan Caffrey (Daniel Kelly 61), Mark Coyle (captain) (Ellis Chapman 74), JJ Lunney, Ali Coote (Sean Boyd 74), Harry Wood; Mipo Odubeko (John Martin 85).
Referee: Declan Toland
Attendance: 2,641
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