SUPER SUB ADAM Foley inflicted a fifth-straight defeat on bottom side Waterford as Finn Harps returend to winning ways at the RSC.
Marc Bircham’s hosts led through Jamie Mascoll’s third-minute strike but Barry McNamee leveled with 15 minutes remaining and replacement Foley completed the comeback just a minute later with a surging solo goal down the right wing.
Foley with the afterburners 🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/7TpWkdDlj4
— Finn Harps FC (@FinnHarpsFC) May 24, 2021
The Blues are still without a host of players due to a Covid outbreak at the club and so Bircham made just one change to his lineup which went down 1-0 to Derry City on Friday with Cian Kavanagh replacing Eric Molloy in attack.
Harps boss Ollie Horgan, who was sitting in the stands serving the last match of his touchline ban, brought Johnny Dunleavy, Mark Russell, Tunde Owolabi and Sean Boyd into his starting side, with the Donegal club seeking their first win in four.
Waterford’s teen striker Kavanagh teed up the opener, feeding full-back Mascoll — who had started the move a couple of passes beforehand — to slot past Harps’ keeper Mark McGinley at his near post.
Both sides then squandered chances through McNamee and Josh Collins before Blues’ keeper Brian Murphy pulled off a fine save from a close-range Sean Boyd header.
Boyd’s strike partner Tunde Owolabi thought he had leveled but saw a goal disallowed for pushing Darragh Power in the lead-up. He then forced another save from Murphy before curling marginally wide on the cusp of half-time.
Harps continued to build pressure in the second half as Waterford dug in to protect their lead.
Boyd and Ethan Boyle went close, the former seeing his effort matched by Murphy and the latter heading over from point-blank range.
The goal felt inevitable and it would come from the spot. Darragh Power fouled Owolabi, allowing McNamee to fire home a penalty down the middle of Murphy’s goal.
A minute later, the visitors hit the front in style: after Waterford lost possession in midfield, Foley put on the afterburners and scorched Cameron Evans before lashing his shot past Murphy and into the far corner.
Harps didn’t find themselves under particularly heavy pressure thereafter and left Munster with the three points.
Waterford FC: Brian Murphy; Darragh Power, Josh Collins, Cameron Evans, James Mascoll; Niall O’Keefe, Shane Griffin; Adam O’Reilly, John Martin, James Waite; Cian Kavanagh (Eric Molloy 71′)
Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; Kosovar Sadiki, Shane McEleney, John Dunleavy; Ethan Boyle, Mark Coyle (Karl O’Sullivan 61′), Barry McNamee (Tony McNamee 90′), Will Seymor, Mark Russell (Mark Timlin 72′); Tunde Owolabi, Sean Boyd (Adam Foley 61′)
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick)
