A somewhat stagnant Sligo Rovers suffered the opening night blues as Waterford came away with the points following an action packed game at the Showgrounds.
The visitors won this game by the odd goal in five. Goals from Rowan McDonald and Tommy Lonergan had Keith Long's side well ahead at the break.
But an amazing opening to the second half saw Owen Elding pull Sligo back into this one before the Bit O'Red went on to miss a penalty shortly before Waterford claimed their third and the eventual winner courtesy of Conan Noonan.
Rovers pulled one back through a debut strike from Jad Hakiki eight minutes from time, but the RSC side held on for a huge three points.
Having lost a number of key players including Ed McGinty, Ellis Chapman and club skipper Niall Morahan to Dublin rivals, it was an unfamiliar Sligo side which lined out for this one.
As with the last three winters since his appointment, manager John Russell has been forced to replace poached talent, bringing in nine new players over the off-season.
Of those nine, five made their first starts namely goalkeeper Sam Sargeant against his former club. While Oskar Van Hattum, Matty Wolfe, Jad Hakiki and Cian Kavanagh all made their competitive bows.
Looking to improve on a solid first season since their promotion in 2023, the visitors also handed debuts to five recent signings having themselves brought in nine new faces over the winter break. Noonan, Stephen McMullan, Navajo Bakboord, Andy Boyle and Tom Lonergan each making their first starts.
Rovers' home form was key to a 2024 season in which they over-performed many expectations, but the hosts suffered significant opening night jitters in the first half of this encounter.
Long's side dominated the opening 45 without having to exert themselves as a sloppy Rovers struggled to come up with many meaningful patterns of play.
Restricted mostly to efforts from range, Sligo did manufacture the opening chance. Will Fitzgerald's through ball, meant for Kavanagh, landed in the path of Elding who scuffed his shot which was easily held by Waterford goalkeeper McMullan.
Rovers, now in their 20th successive season in the top flight, were the architects of their own downfall 13 minutes in.
Caught flat-footed, a fumbling Wolfe conceded possession 25 yards from goal, allowing McDonald to curl a wonderfully struck effort into the bottom corner of Sargeant's net.
There were shots from Elding and Hakiki, speculative at best, as Rovers continued to struggle to convince in attack.
The Munster side then doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute.
A move straight from the set-piece playbook, Noonan's free-kick from the left was headed back across the face of goal by McDonald. Lonergan leaping highest to finish past Sargeant for a goal on his debut.
Desperately requiring some sort of reprieve, Elding gave his side that much needed shot in the arm when he halved the deficit five minutes into the second period. Fitzgerald forced his way inside the area before squaring for the teenager who fired home for his first senior goal.
A crazy few minutes saw Sligo then miss a penalty before Waterford had their third.
McMullen pulled off a magnificent save to deny Kavanagh from 12 yards after Fitzgerald was fouled inside the area. While on the counter, Padraig Amond supplied Noonan who calmly slotted the ball beyond Sargeant with 59 minutes gone.
Elding went close for a somewhat rattled Rovers as did defenders Van Hattum and Ollie Denham. McMullan then pulled off a sensational stop to deny Hakiki from close range with 15 left after the former Dundalk attacker ran on to a scooped ball over the top from Conor Malley which was just as impressive.
Hakiki had offered Sligo some hope on 82 minutes when his thunderous drive from the angle clipped the crossbar on its way past a stunned McMullan.
The Sligo siege was rebuked on several occasions, resulting in Burke taking an Elding bullet off his own line after Fitzgerald had hit the crossbar on the approach.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Oskar Van Hattum, Ollie Denham, John Mahon, Reece Hutchinson; Conor Malley (Jake Doyle-Hayes 87), Matty Wolfe (Francely Lomboto 65); Owen Elding, Jad Hakiki, Will Fitzgerald; Cian Kavanagh.
Waterford: Stephen McMullan; Andy Boyle, Grant Horton, Kacper Radkowski; Navajo Bakboord (Darragh Leahy 72), Ryan Burke; Rowan McDonald (Dean McMenamy 53), Ben McCormack, Conan Noonan (Maarten Pouwels 83); Tommy Lonergan (Kyle White 83), Padraig Amond.
Referee: Damien MacGraith.
Attendance: 3,612.
