Waterford (Friendly)

Waterford are saying a seven o'clock start for tonight's friendly in the RSC while Wexford are saying it's seven-thirty. Looking forward to watching some live football again in any event.

Confirmed now for a seven o'clock start.

Good pre-season friendly in the RSC tonight as Waterford displayed some areas of real quality, but Wexford created their own decentchances too and I’d say they won’t be too despondent over the final scoreline. Wexford started with Danny Bolger, Liam McCartan, Ross Kenny, Owen McCormack, Conor Sutton, Aaron O’Connor, Chris Kenny, Dean George, Eoin Wall Sean Hurley and Danny Doyle. The first chance fell to Akinade of Waterford on two minutes when he blasted a shot from a very tight angle down the left, but it flew past the far post and, due to its trajectory, ended up near the corner flag. With Danny Doyle and Eoin Wall looking lively up front for Wexford, Wexford created their own early chances also and Sean Hurley put Eoin Wall through on the Waterford goal on five minutes but his cross/shot went wide of Corbet’s post in the Waterford goal. On seven minutes, Eoin Wall curled a shot a foot or two over the bar after some good interplay with DannyDoyle. A minute later, Waterford won acorner and scored a “preventable” goal as the Wexford defence did not track a Waterford runner to the near post, and although the first shot was blocked the rebound fell to Waterford’s Webster close in and he made no mistake for 1-0 to the Blues. On 13 minutes, Akinade won a soft free-kick just outside the box for Waterford and Paul Keegan’s free over the wall and into the net at the left hand post was ruled ineligible for what looked like innocuous interference with the Wexford defensive wall by Bastien Hery.

Waterford then began to dominate still further with Keegan pulling the strings in front of their defence and Hery passing the ball neatly further forward for the Blues. It led to Waterford’s second goal on 24 minutes when Danny Bolger in the Wexford goal did well to save a one-on-one but the ball shot up in the air from the save to enable Akinade to head home for 2-0. On 27 minutes, I thought I spotted a head-butt into the chest of an opposing player but referee Mullally took no action. On 44 minutes,Trialist A for Waterford lifted the ball over the bar from close in but Bolger must have got a touch as Mullally awarded a corner to Waterford. From the resulting corner, Wexford again failed to track a runner to the near post and this time Hery knocked the ball goalward with the Wexford defenders on the line unable to prevent it from going in. 3-0 to Waterford at half-time.

Both sides made a number of changes as the second half progressed with AJ Lehane, Mark Slater, Aaron Dobbs, Mikey Byrne, Colm Feeney and some trialists coming on for Wexford. On 52 minutes Wexford got a goal back when Dobbs managed to outpace the last Waterford defender and bury a shot past the Waterford keeper for 3-1. However, Hoolihan of Waterford immediately restored the three-goal lead for Waterford with the best goal of the night when he smacked an effort from just outside the box to the top-right corner to give Feeney in the Wexford goal no chance for 4-1. Both sides created chances from then on with Dobbs and Slater going close for Wexford, but Mark Slater then hobbled off with about seven minutes to go to leave Wexford with ten men until the final whistle. So 4-1 at full-time with Keegan, Akinade, Derek Daly and particularly Hery most impressive for Waterford and Danny Doyle, Aaron Dobbs, Mikey Byrne and Chris “Hopper” Kenny doing well for the Slaneysiders.