Soccer

Waterford manager a firm believer his team belongs in the Premier Division

Keith Long’s First Division runners-up meet Cork City determined to win a promotion/relegation decider for the first time in 10 attempts

Waterford manager Keith Long: 'There’s no doubt we’ll have to raise our performance and put in a top-level performance because Cork will be absolutely determined to stay in the Premier Division.' Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho
Waterford manager Keith Long: 'There’s no doubt we’ll have to raise our performance and put in a top-level performance because Cork will be absolutely determined to stay in the Premier Division.' Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Fri Nov 10 2023 - 06:00
Airtricity League Premier Division promotion/relegation playoff:
Waterford v Cork City, Tallaght Stadium, 7.45pm – Live Virgin Media Three

With the simple brief on his appointment in late March to get them promoted, Keith Long fully believes the Premier Division is where Waterford belong. The former Bohemians manager also appreciates you have to earn the right to be there.

Long’s First Division runners-up meet Cork City in Friday’s promotion/relegation playoff desperate to end an unenviable record in such deciders which has them looking to win one for the first time in 10 attempts.

That includes each of the last two years when they have been beaten by UCD to be relegated in 2021 and then again last year in failing to bounce straight back up. Having lost 3-0 to Cork in this season’s FAI Cup also suggests they have a significant leap to make to achieve their goal.

“Listen, it would mean everything. It’s our season,” said Long on the ambition of gaining promotion. “It was made perfectly clear when I came into the club what the objective was, to try to get out of the division. I have to be respectful of the division that we’re in, but the reality is that the Premier Division is where everything is at.

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“So a club of Waterford’s size, history and tradition, in my opinion they’re one of the great clubs of Irish football, and we need them back in the Premier Division. But the reality is that this club has found itself in the First Division for the last couple of seasons for whatever reason, and we’ve got to try to get over the line (tonight) to try to get ourselves to where we feel we should be.

“But there’s no doubt we’ll have to raise our performance and put in a top-level performance because Cork will be absolutely determined to stay in the Premier Division. They’ll be fighting tooth and nail, and we have to go toe-to-toe with that and make sure our performance is good enough to bring us to where we want to be.”

Cork interim manager Richie Holland is not buying Long suggesting his side are the favourites to retain their top flight status.

“Waterford have a very good side,” said Holland. “If you look at the game against Cobh they were bringing on boys who have played in the Premier Division, so that shows you the strength in their squad. They are more than capable of winning the game. It’s up to us in terms of how we perform to stop that.”