While this match hardly stood out amongst the full Premier Division programme on Friday, it proved to be the game of the night at Sullivan & Lambe Park as two superb strikes from Benny Couto and Shane Farrell and Tommy Lonergan's early opener lit up this six-goal thriller.
Portuguese defender Couto had the final say, with his brilliant 86th minute volley denying Drogheda United a come-from-behind win – they were behind 0-2 after just 21 minutes – and earning Waterford a precious point in their battle against the drop.
They remain well behind the teams above them but Graham Coughlan will point to resilience in coming back having thrown away a two-goal lead to trail late in the game.
No sooner had the game begun than Sullivan & Lambe Park was stunned into silence. Tommy Lonergan scored the match’s first for Waterford just 15 seconds after referee Paul Norton kicked things off.
Drogheda’s defending was dismal, with Conor Kane and Andrew Quinn at fault in equal measure as Longergan latched onto Padraig Amond’s flick-on.
It wasn’t quite Markuss Strods’ eighth second goal for Bohemians in Inchicore last month, but nobody of a Blues’ persuasion was concerned about that.
It took them another 20 minutes for their next but when it arrived, Coughlan’s team were in dreamland. Kevin Long, a 17-cap Republic of Ireland international, helped in Conan Noonan’ corner at the near post.
A fuming Kevin Doherty was at least comforted by Drogheda’s response. Brandon Kavanagh smacked a shot off the crossbar before seconds later, his free-kick was met by Mark Doyle. He glanced a header low into the bottom corner to reduce the deficit before the break.
Upon the resumption, Farrell barrelled in a strike from the edge of the area after Waterford failed to clear their lines from Kane’s long throw. Then Ryan Brennan, so often the hero around these parts, stooped to head in for 3-2.
Then it became a question of whether Waterford would crumble or regroup for one last push. They achieved the latter, as they pressed late on. The woodwork was scratched before Couto’s intervention.
Just as with Farrell’s earlier goal, Drogheda did not fully clear after a long throw into their box. Couto struck true and firm and it dipped beautifully under the crossbar and beyond Fynn Talley’s grasp.
Drogheda United: Fynn Talley; Edwin Agbaje, Leo Burney, Andrew Quinn; Shane Farrell, Shane Farrell, Ethan O’Brien (Dare Kareem, 83), Ryan Brennan, Conor Kane; Brandon Kavanagh; Thomas Oluwa (Jago Godden, 67), Mark Doyle.
Waterford: Stephen McMullan; John Mahon, Kevin Long, Hayden Cann; William Johnson, Samuel Glenfield (Cian Barrett, 83), Dean McMenamy, Benny Couto; Conan Noonan Trae Bailey Coyle, 83); Tommy Lonergan, Padraig Amond.
Referee: Paul Norton
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