Waterford emphatically outlined their title credentials with a 2-1 victory over Dundalk FC at the RSC to move level on points with the Lilywhites at the summit of the Airtricity League's Premier Division.
All the goals on the night arrived during nine minutes of added time in the first half, with two goals from Izzy Akinade followed closely by Ronan Murray's wondrous free-kick at the other end.
The sides struggled to forge out attempts on goal in the opening half hour, with their finest chances created through piercing counter attacks.
Michael Duffy slid an effort wide for the visitors after a slick move involving Robbie Benson and John Mountney, while Gary Rogers palmed an Akinade header wide after Stanley Aborah had picked him out on the penalty spot.
The game opened up after an apparent knee injury to Stephen O'Donnell just before half time, which saw the Lilywhites skipper stretchered off.
Three goals then arrived in quick succession in injury time.
Akinade, who was a menace in the air all night, earned a free-kick just inside the half and the same man was on the end of Rory Feely's floating cross-field delivery to bag his first of the campaign.
The striker's header bounced into the empty net after Rogers had misread the flight of the free-kick, and Akinade didn't have long to wait to add to his tally.
Gavan Holohan won a 50-50 challenge against Mountney in midfield and when the ball came to Garry Comerford, the full back looked up before finding Akinade in the box. After shifting the ball onto his left foot, he drove the ball across the keeper, although Alan Reynold's side's lead was halved before Derek Tomney's whistle.
Mountney went down on the edge of the box and Ronan Murray pummelled the resulting free into the top corner of Lawrence Vigouroux's goal with the last kick of the half.
The attacking football continued from the off in the second half, with Holohan and Duffy skimming shots narrowly wide of the near post at both ends of the pitch.
On the hour-mark the 3,508 in attendance thought they a sumptuous Keegan volley extend the lead but the ball ricocheted off the inside of the woodwork and across the goal, a stroke of luck that sparked Dundalk into committing more men forward.
The league's top-scorer Patrick Hoban couldn't hit the target with a series of headers while Benson pulled their best chance wide after the striker had turned a Dylan Connolly's pass into his path, but Waterford dug in resolutely.
Bastien Hery, selflessly putting in a shift as a second left-back, sniffed out a number of attacks in the final stages and Chris Shield's injury time effort from point blank range deflected over the crossbar off David Webster to ensure the Blues ended the night with three well-earned points.
Waterford FC: Lawrence Vigouroux; Dylan Barnett, Rory Feely, David Webster, Garry Comerford; Paul Keegan (C); Stanley Aborah (John Martin, 68), Bastien Hery; Gavan Holohan; Izzy Akinade, Courtney Duffus (Sander Puri, 83).
Substitutes: Niall Corbet (GK), Sander Puri, Faysel Kasmi, Derek Daly, John Martin, Dean O'Halloran, Dean Walsh.
Dundalk FC: Gary Rogers; Dean Jarvis, Dan Cleary (Jamie McGrath, 45), Brian Gartland, Sean Hoare; Stephen O'Donnell (C) (Chris Shields, 45), Robbie Benson; John Mountney, Ronan Murray (Dylan Connolly, 62), Michael Duffy; Patrick Hoban.
Substitutes: Gabriel Sava (GK), Chris Shields, Jamie McGrath, Kristian Adorjan, Dane Massey, Stephen Folan, Dylan Connolly.
Referee: Derek Tomney
Attendance: 3,508
