Two goals from Junior Quitirna and a breakaway strike from Wassim Aouachria gave Waterford a 3-0 victory over Galway United in the First Division play-off final at the Market Fields on Friday evening.
The Blues will now face UCD in the promotion/relegation final with a return to the top-flight of Irish football the grand prize.
It was a frantic game that opened up when a sideways pass from Adam Thomas was picked off by En-Neyah inside 10 minutes.
The defender fouled while trying to win the ball back and Quitirna's free-kick free from 25 yards out was fumbled in by Conor Kearns at the near post.
The goal was a shock to Galway’s system as they quickly got forward in numbers, desperate to score an equaliser.
Everything they sent into the Blues box was easily dealt with by an organised backline featuring Killian Cantwell and Alex Baptise.
The closet they went to scoring came from a Max Hemmings cross that fizzed through the box and went centimetres from Stephen Walsh’s reach.
It was end to end until a structural issue with the away end at the Market Field disrupted the flow of the game.
The stand had to be evacuated over structural issues and this stopped play for five minutes between the 26th and 31st minute.
Galway restarted by replacing Hurley with striker Rob Manley, who walked onto the pitch with 10 goals to his name this season.
It was all Galway in the lead up to half-time and in the fifth minute of eight added on, Conor McCormack tried to put back in a corner.
Shane Griffin intercepted and launched the ball forward into the Galway half, where Hemmings tried to control.
Aouachria slipped in, picked the defender’s pocked, and broke with pace through the Galway half.
With Hemmings on his tail and Kearns ahead of him, Aouachria rolled the ball in with the inside of his left boot.
Galway came out after the break and committed everyone into their quest for a line-line at the Market Fields.
They started well with a McCormack free-kick finding Walsh and his free header came off the crossbar.
Mikie Rowe was brought on just after the hour mark and his first touch sent the ball well over the intended target inside the area.
Another substitute, Bastien Hery, received the ball on the overlap from Walsh and his attempt was blocked by Cantwell.
Galway’s lifeline came from Tunmise Sobowale bringing down Ronan Manning and a penalty was given. Walsh aimed for the bottom right corner and Paul Martin guessed correctly to deny Galway.
Waterford then countered with Phoenix Patterson, and he set up Quitirna to score his second of the game with a neat first-time finish.
Galway United: Conor Kearns; Conor O’Keefe, Stephen Walsh, Killian Brouder, David Hurley (Rob Manley 34), James Finnerty, Ronan Manning, Conor McCormack, Ed McCarthy (Bastien Hery 61), Max Hemmings, Adam Thomas (Mikie Rowe 61).
Waterford: Paul Martin; Darragh Power, Niall O’Keefe, Alex Baptise, Shane Griffin, Yassine En-Neyah, (Dean Larkin 86) Wassim Aouachria (Raul Uche 83), Junior Quitirna, Tunmise Sobowale (Timi Sobowale 83, Killian Cantwell, Phoenix Patterson.
Referee: Alan Patchell
