Shamrock Rovers survived an injury-time scare to cut the deficit to leaders Dundalk to four points with a workmanlike victory over Waterford at Tallaght Stadium.
Graham Burke scored six minutes into the second half after Dean O'Halloran had cancelled out Graham Cummins’ well-taken opener.
The tie turned on Karolis Chvedukas’ straight red card deep in first-half injury time for an ugly challenge on new Rovers recruit Danny Lafferty.
The debutant, appearing for the first time since sealing a move from Sheffield United, then teed up Burke for a comfortable finish shortly after the restart.
A tame first half, played at well below the intensity that will surely unfold in Friday's Dublin derby at the same venue, went by largely without incident until the final ten minutes.
Lee Grace had brought a comfortable save out of Blues keeper Matthew Connor and Kevin Lynch had curled a free kick over at the other end but there was little else to excite.
That changed when a calamitous short backpass from Rob Slevin allowed Cummins to side-foot the ball comfortably past the enraged Connor.
It took Waterford just five minutes to find parity as Lafferty committed a foul on the edge of the box, and JJ Lunney’s delivery was perfect for O’Halloran to find the net with a downward header.
From a Burke delivery, the ball was flicked onto the post and, in the ensuing scramble, Connor lost hold of it and Cummins was denied a second by the other post before the Blues cleared.
Rovers boss Stephen Bradley brought on Jack Byrne and Aaron McEneff at the break and the Hoops’ intensity increased - it took just six minutes for them to find the front once more.
Lafferty, gradually shaking off signs of understandable rust, created the second with a burst of speed and stood up a cross for Burke, who volleyed home uncontested on the edge of the six-yard box.
Rovers hit the woodwork for a third time moments later as Lafferty teed up Burke once more and his shot from the tightest of angles cannoned back off the base of the post.
A wonderful through-ball from sub Sean Kavanagh sent Greene one-on-one with Connor but the ball caught in his feet and a combination of the keeper and Maxi Kouogun thwarted him.
Greene missed a sitter moments later as he was again picked out with a Kavanagh cross but, from point blank range, he volleyed wide.
Waterford could have grabbed an unlikely point as Jack Byrne was caught in possession and Zack Elbouzedi’s shot deceived Alan Mannus, but Lee Grace put in a vital tackle to deny Walter Figueira the rebound.
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Sean Callan, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace; Ethan Boyle, Greg Bolger (Aaron McEneff 46), Dylan Watts, Graham Burke, Danny Lafferty (Sean Kavanagh 74); Aaron Greene, Graham Cummins (Jack Byrne 46).
Waterford: Matthew Connor; John Kavanagh, Robert Slevin, Maxi Kouogun, Kevin Lynch; Georgie Poynton, Karolis Chvedukas, Tom Holland (Zack Elbouzedi 78); JJ Lunney, Dean O’Halloran (Walter Figueira 69), William Fitzgerald (Sam Bone 46).
Referee: Derek Tomney
