A miserable night at the RSC saw the pitch survive a late 7:00pm inspection but it then turned into an absolute nightmare for Waterford FC as they were trounced 4-0 by bottom side Sligo Rovers in front of 1,974 supporters in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division.
There’s no question that a sixth-straight league defeat for the Blues could make the future uncertain for Waterford manager Keith Long.
Long was a dejected figure on the sideline as his side crumbled in front of their home fans that voted with their feet long before referee Aaron O’Dowd sounded the final whistle.
Cian Kavanagh missed an early open goal on six minutes when he got his head on a brilliant Will Fitzgerald right-wing corner, but Grant Horton got a vital touch that took the ball inches wide of the near post.
The visitors were celebrating the lead goal a mere two minutes later when Fitzgerald whipped over another deadly delivery that found the head of the unmarked Gareth McElroy, and he planted a close-range header past a helpless Stephen McMullan.
Things went from bad to worse for the Blues on 11 minutes as they gifted their opponents a second goal.
Navajo Bakboord was guilty of handing possession straight to Fitzgerald, who sprayed the ball out to the left for Reece Hutchinson, and his deep cross saw Owen Elding power a header past keeper McMullan.
After McMullan produced a top save to deny Elding his second of the game on 33 minutes, Waterford had two half chances before the break but neither Kacper Radkowski nor Tommy Lonergan could find a way past Sam Sargeant.
The night got even worse for the Blues as they were reduced ten men on the hour mark when Kyle White, who was cautioned for a pullback seven minutes earlier, was shown his second yellow card for a cynical trip on Sligo’s Ronan Manning.
A third goal arrived for Sligo Rovers on 62 minutes when Fitzgerald sent over a harmless right-wing corner that was dropped by keeper McMullan that saw the ball break to Conor Reynolds, who set up Cian Kavanagh to complete a memorable night for his side with a close-range finish.
A disastrous night for Waterford and brilliant one for Sligo was compounded by a fourth goal for the Bit O’ Red two minutes from time when substitute Francely Lomboto raced onto a through ball from John Mahon before firing right-footed past McMullan.
Waterford FC: McMullan; Bakboord (Boyle 46), Horton, Radkowski, Leahy; White, Olayinka (McCormack 71), Noonan Coyle (Glenfield 75); Lonergan (McMenamy 68), Amond (Pouwels 71).
Sligo Rovers: Sargeant; Reynolds (Patton 71), McElroy, Mahon, Hutchinson; Manning (Wolfe 82), Hakiki (Lomboto 82), Doyle-Hayes (Malley 71), Fitzgerald; Elding, Kavanagh (Mallon 71).
Referee: Aaron O’Dowd (Dublin).
