Soccer

Waterford fail to drag themselves away from trouble against Longford Town

Draw means Marc Bircham’s Blues must better Finn Harps’ result in final round to avoid playoff

Anthony Wordsworth was on target for Waterford in the draw against Longford Town at Bishopsgate. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

Paul Buttner
Sat Nov 13 2021 - 22:34

Longford Town 1 Waterford 1

Waterford paid the penalty as they finished with 10 men against relegated Longford at Bishopsgate to blow the chance of putting their automatic Premier Division survival back into their own hands.

The result means Marc Bircham’s Blues remain second bottom and must hope to better Finn Harps’ result in next week’s final round of matches to avoid the promotion/relegation playoff.

Despite having the better of the first half in the midlands mist, Waterford wasted decent chances through Niall O’Keeffe and twice from John Martin.

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Waterford then got away with a mistake with scarcely a minute of the second half played when Longford’s Darragh Nugent intercepted a poor Greg Halford pass to put fellow Shamrock Rovers loanee Dean Williams in on goal.

Williams’s hurried shot lacked the power to trouble Brian Murphy as the Blues survived.

The main action resumed in the home area, though, with Lee Steacy saving well with his feet from Eddie Nolan’s drive before Waterford made the breakthrough on 65 minutes.

Rob Manley’s weak near-post header from Halford’s long throw dropped for Anthony Wordsworth who controlled the ball superbly before spinning and hitting a half-volley that arrowed into the roof of the net.

All Waterford’s good work was undone 11 minutes later. Nolan tripped Williams just inside the area; the striker beating Murphy to find the net off a post from the resulting penalty to equalise.

In a grandstand finish, Steacy earned Longford their point with the save of the game three minutes later.

Nolan looked to have redeemed himself when getting a firm header to Jack Stafford’s cross only for Steacy to dive full stretch to his right to push the effort round a post.

Waterford will be without Halford for Friday’s final game of the regular season as the big defender was dismissed for a second yellow card offence following a foul on Aodh Dervin six minutes from time.

LONGFORD TOWN: Steacy; Elworthy, J. Manley, O'Driscoll, Kirk; Dervin, Robinson (Warfield, 68); Nugent, William, Davis (McNally, 68); R. Manley.

WATERFORD: B. Murphy; Power, Halford, Nolan, Stafford;

O’Keeffe, Wordsworth, Griffin (Stringer, 73; Ferguson, 78); J. Martin, Quitirna, Patterson.

Referee: Ray Matthews (Midlands).