SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Waterford FC 2
Derry City FC 1
Kevin Galvin
After two defeats in their first two home games, Shane Griffin's cracking 25-yard curling strike, deep in added time, was the fitting way for Alan Reynolds to get their first points of the 2020 SSE Airticity Premier Division at the RSC.
A brilliant effort by the Blues substitute was the second moment of quality in what was a lacklusture affair until the killer strike.
Sam Bone's superb equalling effort was the first in a game that, particularly in the second-half, saw both sides cancel each other out to the point where the 1,924 in attendance barely saw a shot in anger after the break, until Griffin popped up deep in added time.
In the 24th minute the small band of 31 hardy Candystripe supporters who made the long trip across the island held their phones aloft, torches lighting, alongisde the 1,893 Waterford supporters in attendance to show their solidarity to the 24 Cardiac Care programme, emblazened on the front of the Blues' kit.
Michael O'Connor couldn't quite shoot the lights out five minutes later, but his effort at least drew Derry goalkeeper Peter Cherrie into a first proper save of a chilly March evening.
Things weren't to get much warmer for the home crowd, who saw their side concede the softest of goals, as Jamie McDonagh found the Waterford defence napping, and then Stephen Mallon, to finish low past Brian Murphy on his near post.
But they were on their feet for the second time just before the half, as Graham Cummins laid off Sam Bone to arrow a brilliant effort out of the blue, into the top right-hand corner of Cherrie's net, restoring parity just before the break.
We'll take another look at at that... 😶👏#WeAreWaterfordFC #Blues pic.twitter.com/NNyCbt99r4
— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) March 6, 2020
O'Connor tested the mitts of former teammate Cherrie from a searching free-kick after the break, before Cummins went down under a Mark McChrystal challenge off-the-ball, but referee Sean Grant wasn't interestred in their protests.
A second-half stalemate was briefly interrupted by Michael O'Connor's free header from namesake Kevin's cross, but the Blues captain couldn't get his effort on target, and after much huffing and puffing, when Akin Odimayo was played in on goal, but saw his low effort saved by the feet of Cherrie, the home faithful thought the game was up.
Not Griffin, who seized on a blocked Michael O'Connor effort, steadied himself, and opened up his right instep to curl one past the despairing Cherrie from 25 yards out - sending the home crowd into raptures, and securing a win they were convinced was gone just moments earlier.
Waterford FC: B Murphy; T Wilson, G Cummins, R McCourt, K O'Connor; S Bone, A Odimayo; A Coote (W Longbottom 75), J Martin (S Griffin 75); M Smith; M O'Connor.
Derry City: P Cherrie; E Toal, D Lupano, M McChrystal; C McCormack; D Horgan, C Harkin, W Figueira (J Malone 62), J McDonagh (C Clifford 73), S Mallon; T Nilsen (A Liddle 69).
Referee: S Grant (Wexford).
Attendance: 1,924.
