The whirlwind battle for the league crown is still spinning as Derry City kept the pressure on front-runners Shelbourne by joining them at the top of the table with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Waterford.
The winning goal came in controversial circumstances in the 93 minute, just seconds after Waterford were denied a penalty by referee Paul Tuite after Clive Delaney dragged down Darryl Kavanagh in the area.
Derry swept upfield and, from a throw-in by Cillian Brennan that was touched on by Delaney, Mark Farren crashed the ball to the net from point-blank range.
The Waterford players and fans were furious and Tuite was booed roundly as he left the pitch.
Play was fast and furious in what was a tough encounter but, on the night, United raised their game and, from the exchanges, one would not think that one team was challenging for the title while the other was trying to get off the bottom of the table.
Derry manager Stephen Kenny had placed so much emphasis on this game that his squad arrived in Waterford on Saturday and set up camp in Tramore where one of the local clubs, Tramore AFC, gave them the use of their training facilities.
His impending departure to Dunfermline was totally put to one side as he plotted victory in a fixture that he approached very warily indeed despite Waterford's bottom of the table position.
Derry had already beaten United at the RSC this season (1-2) and hammered them 4-0 at The Brandywell but there had been more than one shock result from the RSC cauldron over the years and Kenny took no chances with his painstaking preparation.
Derry were still without defenders Darren Kelly, Stephen O'Flynn and Ken Oman while Waterford were minus the services of their suspended captain, Alan Reynolds, and the fast-running Ger McCarthy. Alan Cawley was back from suspension and took his place up front with Paul McCarthy.
Derry should have taken the lead in the 30th. minute when, in a rather harsh decision, the referee awarded a penalty after Alan Keely was adjudged to have taken down Gary Beckett. Farren's kick was well taken and directed towards the corner but goalkeeper Ben Spicer dived full-length to his right to save.
Earlier, on 11 minutes, Kevin Deery shot narrowly wide of the upright from just inside the area after Spicer inexplicably cleared the ball straight to the Derry man's feet.
The Blues might well have taken the lead on 17 minutes when Robert Brosnan ran on to a long ball out of defence by Keely but he fluffed the volley and sliced the ball wide.
United's Kavangh broke clear 12 minutes into the second half but was taken down by Eddie McCallion as he raced towards goal. Dead-ball expert Cawley took the free from 26 yards but his effort curled around the defensive wall and sailed over the bar.
Five minutes later, Waterford went within a whisker of going in front through what would have been a freak goal. Under no pressure, goalkeeper Derry goalkeeper David Forde crossed the ball across the face of his own goal; Kavanagh stretched to get a touch and the ball bobbled towards goal before veering left at the last second to shave the outside of the post.
United finished the stronger side and, eight minutes from time, substitute Morgan Pender crossed from the left to Kavanagh who unleashed a powerful shot from 15 yards but Forde pulled off the save of the night to keep the ball out.
Three minutes from time, Pender let fly an angled blockbuster from 25 yards that left the Derry contingent gasping as the ball shaved the top of the crossbar.
Waterford United: Spicer, Flynn, Hedderman, Keely, Browne, Hayes, Chambers, Kavanagh, Brosnan (Young, 90 minutes), Cawley (Pender, 73 minutes), P. McCarthy.
Substitutes not used: Casey, Fitzgerald, Dunphy.
Derry City: Forde, McCallion (McGlynn, 72 minutes), Hutton, Delaney, Higgins (Martyn, 69 minutes), Beckett (McHugh, 50 minutes), Brennan, Deery, Molloy, Farren, McCourt.
Substitutes not used: Hargan, Jennings.
Referee: Paul Tuite, Dublin.
