Longford Town - 2 Waterford Utd - 1: The wisdom of staging the domestic game's showpiece final at Lansdowne Road may have been made to look questionable again by a poor turnout for yesterday's Carlsberg-sponsored FAI Cup decider, but after a disappointing first half these two sides succeeded in providing those who did turn out with a compelling drama late on that was fit for the biggest of stages.
On the balance of play over the 90 minutes Waterford United deserved a good deal more than they took from a game they led for 26 second-half minutes thanks to a fine goal by Willie Bruton. Sadly for Alan Reynolds' side, and their supporters in the 9,676 crowd, they simply don't seem to do clean sheets and after 85 minutes in which last year's winners had failed to produce a single shot on target Alan Kirby and Paul Keegan struck twice in swift succession to land Longford their third piece of silverware in just 12 months.
It was a devastating end to the afternoon for a Waterford side that had taken the battle to their opponents from the start but who failed to capitalise on some decent opportunities to make the game safe.
Tactically Reynolds seemed to call it well for Longford struggled to make any sort of attacking impact through the opening hour as their wide men, in particular, were marked almost out of the game by John Frost and Alan Carey.
Up front Eric Lavine and Dessie Baker had little to work and when the ball did come their way the pair seemed to struggle to retain it in the face of some determined defending by David Breen, Ben Whelehan and Pat Purcell.
In the centre of the pitch Dean Fitzgerald attempted to exert a positive influence over his side's attempts to press forward but by and large the battle was lost there early on with Reynolds and Dave Mulcahy getting the better of things as Alan Matthews' side settled a little too often for launching the ball hopefully upfield.
For Waterford Jose Quitongo promised a good deal early on, producing a string of quick and twisting runs that left his marker, Alan Murphy, struggling. Repeatedly, however, his final ball into the area was disappointing and having never really managed to create anything all that clearcut for either Bruton or Daryl Murphy, his influence had faded considerably by the time he was replaced with just over an hour played.
Within a minute of the change United were in front. An element of niggle early in the second half produced a steady stream of frees and from one Frost's long ball towards the Longford area was headed on by Murphy for Bruton who got goalside of Sean Dillon before powering the ball beyond the reach of Stephen O'Brien and into the top left corner.
It was a rare slip by Dillon who, along with Graham Gartland, managed to make the absence of Barry Ferguson from the Longford central defence seem rather inconsequential over the course of the 90 minutes. The goal, however, finally brought a much greater sense of urgency to the play of Matthews' side generally and Waterford suddenly found themselves on the back foot.
They initially coped well with the increased pressure, though, and Bruton might have added to their lead when he attempted to lob O'Brien, who was a good distance off his line, but saw his shot sail a yard or so over the bar. Another chance five minutes later saw him do a lot of good work after picking up a long Dan Connor throw, but instead of passing he shot when Vinny Sullivan looked much better placed to his right.
A dejected Reynolds said afterwards that while he felt his side wasn't playing well he believed at that stage that they might just hang on, but it wasn't to be.
United, he admitted, had only themselves to blame for the equaliser which came in the 86th minute after a throw in on the left was poorly defended because there was a second ball on the pitch. Ben Whelehan rambled over to kick it into the stand and the player manager admitted that he, too, had stopped playing but John Feighery made no attempt to hold things up and after Lavine had knocked the ball neatly into his path Kirby struck with a sweetly struck shot from 15 metres.
Had they been allowed to settle United would probably have earned a replay, but barely a minute later even that prospect was snatched from them. Fitzgerald set the chance up with a good ball forward from midfield for Lavine who came out on top of a challenge with Breen and then, with Connor having come a little rashly, teed up Keegan who only had to steer the ball wide of the goalkeeper and into a largely empty net from 20 metres out. Despite a desperate attempt by United to salvage the situation the goal was to prove enough to send the cup back to Longford once again.
LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien; Murphy, Dillon, Gartland, Prunty; Kirby, Fitzgerald, Martin (Keegan, 72 mins), Barrett (Perth, 94 mins); Lavine, Baker.
WATERFORD UNITED: Connor; Whelehan, Purcell, Breen; Carey (Sullivan, 61 mins), Reynolds, Mulcahy, Frost; Bruton, Murphy, Quitongo (Waters, 61 mins).
Referee: J Feighery (Dublin)
