Bohemians - 3 Waterford Utd - 1: Aidan O'Keefe supplied a timely hat-trick for Bohemians to leave nine-man Waterford deflated on a controversial night at Dalymount Park. Having gone a goal behind, managerless Bohemians battled gamely to record their first win in six games and their first since Gareth Farrelly's departure as manager last month.
Bohemians began brightly and both O'Keefe and Stephen Ward were lively and persistently carved open a visiting defence which struggled to settle. Ward poked narrowly over inside a crowded box while Jason McGuinness headed just wide from Kevin Hunt's free.
But the home side were caught napping after 18 minutes. Waterford captain Alan Reynolds threaded a low ball from his own half through a static defence and Ger McCarthy timed his run to perfection, racing 20 yards before tucking a low shot past Stephen O'Brien.
Waterford defended stoutly for the rest of the half but the visitors lived dangerously at times. Tempers frayed shortly before half-time with players from both sides tangling unnecessarily. Reynolds and Alan Keely both saw yellow cards and, following the latter's booking, goalkeeper Ben Spicer needed to be well-placed to turn away Ward's free.
Bohemians equalised three minutes into the second half in controversial circumstances. Assistant referee Rhona Daly flagged a Bohemians move offside but while the Waterford defence downed tools, referee Dave McKeon waved play on and this allowed the unmarked O'Keefe to slot home.
Enraged with McKeon's decision, the Waterford players remonstrated long and hard and Ger McCarthy saw red for pushing the referee. Then, moments later, fellow striker Alan Cawley was sent off for racing the width of the pitch to angrily confront Daly.
If losing a lead and being reduced to nine-men wasn't insult enough, Waterford then fell behind after 57 minutes. Stephen Rice ran unchallenged into the box and his shot was blocked but O'Keefe pounced to fire home the rebound from close range.
O'Keefe then rounded off a superb individual night when, with 17 minutes remaining, he pounced on a long ball to beat Spicer for the third time.
BOHEMIANS: O'Brien; Rice, Ferguson, McGuinness, Powell; Kelly, Heary, Hunt, O'Keefe; Dunphy, Ward. Subs: Leech for Dunphy (72), Fitzgerald for Heary (84), Brady for O'Keefe (89).
WATERFORD UNITED: Spicer; Flynn, Hayes, Keely, Hedderman; Chambers, Reynolds, Grant, P McCarthy; Cawley, G McCarthy. Subs: Brown and Kavanagh for P McCarthy and Grant (both 55), Russell for Flynn (74). Booked: Reynolds 25, Keely 31. Sent off: G McCarthy (49), Cawley (50).
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).
