Tolka Rovers' Cup dream ended in disappointment at a rain-soaked RSC as Waterford United finally found their form after being extremely fortunate to get out of Frank Cooke Park with a two-all draw on Sunday.
United made just one change from the drawn game with Alan Keely replacing the injured John Hayes. Rovers made two alterations with Darren Doyle coming in for Dean Kelly and Gavin Quinn replacing the injured Ger McCarthy.
In a whirlwind start, United's Paul McCarthy headed off the upright after 45 seconds and, on the two-minute mark, Shane Harte pounced on an in-sweeping ball from Robert Brosnan and crashed the ball to the net from 12 yards.
As the visitors struggled to keep their shape and composure in the face of the onslaught, the Blues attempted to press home their advantage and, in the following 60 seconds, McCarthy cracked a shot off the crossbar while Brosnan steered a fierce header almost onto the same spot.
However Rovers refused to panic and, to their credit, they conjured up a classy equaliser in the 12th minute.
Chris Barbour delivered an excellent pass to Ray Whelehan who split the United defence with a super ball into the path of the inrushing Darren Doyle who drew goalkeeper Dean Delaney before skilfully planting the ball in the net.
But United struck back within two minutes. Vinnie Sullivan floated over a cross from the left and Brosnan crept in between the defence and goalkeeper Morgan Cranley to stroke the ball into the corner of the net.
The Blues made it 3-1 on 16 minutes when Alan Mulcahy provided a searching cross from the left to McCarthy who unleashed a powerful, left-footed shot from 15 yards past the goalkeeper.
The rain that had threatened the game earlier returned and, during a tropical-style downpour, Kenny Browne lifted over a cross from the right on 34 minutes that evaded three defenders and Brosnan had the easiest of tasks to tap home his second goal from point blank range.
After the break, the visitors attacked from the restart and were almost rewarded on 53 minutes when Doyle’s shot from a through ball by Barbour whizzed past the advancing goalkeeper but went inches wide of the near post.
On the hour, Harte curled in a 30-yard free towards the top corner of the visitors’ net but Cranley dived full length to make an excellent save. Two minutes later, McCarthy had a free-header in front of goal from a Brosnan cross but he sliced his effort wide of the far post.
United should have added a fifth goal twelve minutes from full-time but Cranley contorted himself to somehow get a touch to Robbie Hedderman’s header during a goalmouth melee.
Waterford United: Delaney, Flynn, Hedderman, Keely, Browne, Warren (Scully, Half-time), Mulcahy, McCarthy, Sullivan (McDonald, 72 minutes), Harte (Kavanagh, 65 minutes), Brosnan. Substitutes not used: Hayes, Cooley, Holden, Casey.
Tolka Rovers: Cranley, Muleady (Dennam, 85 minutes), B. Kelly, Cummins, P. Quinn, Whelehan, Kearns (Rogers, 68 minutes), Barbour, Maher, Doyle, G. Quinn (Moylan, 32 minutes). Substitutes not used: D. Kelly, J. Kelly, Redmond, Comerford.
Referee: Alan Kelly, Cork.
