A crowd of over 4,000 packed the RSC last night as Waterford United and Shamrock Rovers served up a scintillating game of football that generated an exciting atmosphere reminiscent of the golden era of the 1960s and 70s when both clubs drew full houses everywhere they played.Victory sweeps the Blues above Cork City into second place in the table behind Shelbourne.
United went ahead on the half-hour thanks to a controversial goal. Thomas Hughes crossed from the right and, while goalkeeper Barry Ryan clasped the ball, he appeared to fumble it.
Alan Reilly looked as if he was going to head the ball while it was still in the goalkeeper's hands, but he made no contact. Then, the assistant referee, to the fury of Rovers, adjudged that Ryan had stepped back over the line and awarded a goal to Waterford.
A minute before half-time, the other assistant referee spotted an off-the-ball foul by Jason Colwell on Hughes and he was given a straight red card.
The Blues went further ahead eight minutes into the second half when a mistake by Richard Byrne gave Sullivan a clear path to goal and he kept his nerve to coolly drill the ball low and hard into the net past the advancing Ryan.
WATERFORD UNITED: Connor, Hughes, Frost, Mallon, Byrne, O'Brien, Mulcahy (Cosgrove, half-time), Reilly, Waters (Rockett, 86 minutes), O'Neill (Murphy, 79 mins), Sullivan. Subs Not Used: Leahy, Morris.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Ryan, Gough, Keddy, Colwell, Palmer, Byrne (Doyle, 86 mins), Robinson, A Grant, Kelly (Caffrey, half-time), Reynolds (Deans, 82 mins), S Grant. Subs Not Used: Treacy, Lacey.
Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).
