Waterford - 0 Longford Town - 0: Both these sides are still without a win after cancelling each other out in a keenly contested clash at the RSC last night.
The visitors were able to field an unchanged team from the side defeated by Derry City last week but a suspension and three cases of flu forced United manager Mike Kerley to make four changes to the 11 that started against Sligo Rovers.
Each side had opportunities to open the scoring in the first half but poor finishing at both ends of the pitch kept the game scoreless.
The best chance of the first period fell to United's James Chambers on 28 minutes when he shot over the bar from 12 yards following a neat move involving Thomas Hawkins and Gavin Doyle, who played Chambers clean through.
Ten minutes later Alan Kirby skilfully skipped past a United defender out near the right corner flag but his shoulder-high cross was sent inches wide of the far post by Dean Fitzgerald.
Doyle ballooned a half chance over the bar for the Blues after only 11 minutes and, five minutes before half-time, Paul McCarthy arrived in the Longford goalmouth at speed but failed to connect with an Ian Fraher corner by a fraction of a second.
Seán Prunty laid off an excellent ball to John Martin on 14 minutes but he shot wide when, really, he should have at least hit the target.
Martin was forced to retire with an ankle injury after 30 minutes and was replaced by Fitzgerald, who himself only lasted 14 minutes before he too succumbed to injury and was replaced by Davy Byrne.
Longford's Stephen Gough unleashed a powerful, low drive from 25 yards on 19 minutes but the ball, which seemed goal-bound, ricocheted off defender John Hayes for a corner that was cleared by United.
The game really exploded into life 10 minutes into the second half when Longford goalkeeper Shay Kelly pulled off the save of the night as he performed contortions to somehow turn a Chambers drive out for a corner.
Then, two minutes later, on 57 minutes, Hayes twice cleared off the United line from Dessie Baker before Kenny Browne booted the ball to safety.
WATERFORD UNITED: Dunphy, Flynn, Young, Hayes, Browne, Grant, McCarthy, Chambers, Doyle (Colfer, 86 mins), Fraher (Kavanagh, 73 mins), Hawkins.
LONGFORD TOWN: Kelly, Gough, Murphy, Martin (Fitzgerald, 30 mins, Byrne, 43 mins), O'Connor, Paisley, Kirby, Baker, Prunty, Doherty, Myler (Mooney, 67 mins).
Referee: H Whoriskey (Meath).
