Waterford FC concluded a successful first season back in the top flight of Irish football with a 4-1 victory over a youthful Limerick FC side at the RSC tonight.
The Shannonsiders travel to the other corner of the country on Monday evening for the first leg of their promotion-relegation playoff against Finn Harps and fine performances from Dessie Hutchinson and John Martin ensured Tommy Barrett's men will travel on the back of four consecutive defeats.
The first half was enjoyable throughout and the game's opening goal arrived in the third minute after Martin, who was retreating out of the box, was felled by Colman Kennedy causing referee Eoghan O'Shea to point to the spot.
Midfielder Hutchinson confidently slotted the ball into the right side of the goal and he nearly doubled the lead five minutes later when his gorgeous free-kick bounced off the underside of the crossbar before Ismahil Akinade nodded the rebound against the post from close range.
A minute later the sides were level thanks to Colm Walsh-O'Loghlen's neat finish after the midfielder exchanged passes with Aaron Fitzgerald but Waterford's lead was restored 90 seconds later.
Again the source of the attack was Hutchinson's wand of a right foot - with Garry Comerford heading the former Brighton man's free kick beyond keeper Jack Brady.
The end-to-end football was doing its best to heat up the freezing fans and Connor Ellis narrowly fired to the left of Matthew Connor's goal having snuck in behind the home side's backline, while Hutchinson curled another free just over the bar at the other end.
Akinade failed to make the most of Martin's through ball with only the keeper to beat on the half hour mark and the creator himself pulled another chance wide before the half ended following Dean O'Halloran's clipped cross.
The Blues spent the opening 10 minutes of the second half confidently keeping possession, with Derek Daly blazing a left-footed daisy-cutter just wide of the target before two shots from the busy Martin drifted to the right of the Limerick goal.
Akinade won a free after Limerick cheaply lost the ball in their own half and there was little doubt Hutchinson would step up to try to extend the lead. The biggest surprise about his effort was that it required a deflection to find its way beyond the visitor's shotstopper.
The Blues were enjoying themselves and Martin put the game to bed when he expertly steered Gavan Holohan's cross beyond the outstretched Brady.
Martin, Holohan and Akinade all had opportunities to add to the scoreline in the final 20 minutes and Limerick's attention will rapidly switch to their vital match in Ballybofey in less than 72 hours time.
Waterford FC: Matthew Connor; Noe Baba, David Webster, Garry Comerford, Dylan Barnett; Bastien Hery (C) (Keegan, 61), Dessie Hutchinson; Dean O’Halloran (Holohan, 68), John Martin, Cory Galvin (Daly, 45); Izzy Akinade.
Substitutes: Niall Corbet, Paul Keegan, Gavan Holohan, Courtney Duffus, Derek Daly, Rory Feely, Shane Griffin.
Limerick FC: Jack Brady; Tomas O'Connor, Killian Cantwell (O'Sullivan, 58), Colman Kennedy, Aaron Fitzgerald; Darren Murphy; Colm Walsh-O'Loghlen, Ger Barry; Barry Maguire (Coleman, 45); Adam Foley, Conor Ellis (Morrissey, 68).
Substitutes: Tommy Holland, Cian Coleman, Danny Morrissey, Will Fitzgerald, Karl O'Sullivan.
Referee: Eoghan O'Shea
Attendance: 1,891
