Two goals from Fahrudin Kudozovic earned Sligo Rovers full points from this keenly contested tussle at the RSC on Friday night. The game was finely balanced throughout but, in the end, the visitors just about deserved their victory.
These two sides played a 1-1 draw at the Showgrounds in April and it should be another absorbingly close contest when they meet again at the RSC in the FAI Cup on August 17th.
The Blues opened the scoring on 19 minutes when a long ball by Ray Scully dropped between Karl Bermingham and defender Jamie McKenzie. Bermingham, making his home debut for the Blues, reacted first and, from just inside the area, steered the ball into the net - just wide of the advancing goalkeeper Richard Brush.
Rovers equalised on 33 minutes when goalkeeper Dean Delaney failed to cut out a cross from the right from Conor O’Grady and the inrushing Kudozovic tapped the ball into the net from close range.
At times, the game was played at a very fast pace with some nice passing movements from both sides. Sligo took the lead on 70 minutes when Raphael Cretaro raced down the right wing before crossing low and hard from the right for Kudozovic who drilled an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net from 12 yards.
A minute beforehand, Delaney pulled off a double save from Matthew Judge who was played into a scoring position by an excellent pass from Conor O’Grady.
Early in the first half, it was the visitors who looked more likely to score. Raphael Cretaro’s snap-shot after only three minutes shaved the outside of the upright.
On 12 minutes, a skilful build-up involving O’Grady and Cretaro saw Delaney drop Judge’s flashing header at the far post although he snatched back possession before he could be punished.
Sligo attempted to up the tempo from the restart and it took a super tackle by David Breen to prevent Stephen Manson breaking clear on goal.
Two minutes later, Judge unleashed a fierce, angled drive from the edge of the area but Delaney got his body behind the ball and held in well.
Substitute Willie John Kiely beat Brush with a powerful header from a Vinnie Sullivan cross on 63 minutes but the ball rebounded into play off the Sligo crossbar.
Ten minutes from time, Darryl Kavanagh pounced on a throw-in from Robbie Hedderman but his stinging shot shaved the paint on the outside of the far upright.
Waterford United: Delaney, Flynn, Hedderman, Browne, Breen, Warren, Bermingham (Kiely 58 minutes), McCarthy (Brosnan 75 minutes), Sullivan, Kavanagh, Scully (Lordan 62 minutes). Substitutes not used: Hayes, Holden
Sligo Rovers: Brush, Coleman, Ventre, Peers, McKenzie, O’Grady, Manson (Foy 62 minutes), Hughes (Boyd 67 minutes), Judge, Kudozovic, Cretaro (Curran 90 minutes). Substitutes not used: Creane, Arcaba
Referee: Alan Kelly, Cork
