Waterford v Derry
City: Match Preview
Waterford FC v. Derry City FC, League of Ireland
Premier Division Round 28, Waterford Regional Sports Centre, Friday 23rd
August 2024 kick-off 7.45pm
After advancing to the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup
following a 1-0 away win over Cork City, Derry City face their second away game
in Munster in seven days as they face high-flying Waterford in the Premier
Division. The Candystripes evoked the spirit of the late and great Jim
McLaughlin, who passed away last Thursday, in their win in Turner’s Cross. It
was a 1-0 win over Cork City in the 1989 FAI Cup final which saw Jim
McLaughlin’s City side clinch a historic domestic treble – a feat which, 35
years on, is yet to be equalled. Felix Healy scored the winner that day, but it
was a Sam Todd header that clinched the win last Friday, a goal which sees
Derry face Shelbourne in the Brandywell in a huge last-eight tie.
Last time out – Cork City 0-1 Derry City:
It certainly wasn’t a pretty affair, but winning tough games
when you’re under the cosh is a sign of a good team. Cork, who sit fifteen
points clear in the First Division, welcomed the Candystripes to Turner’s Cross
on Friday night having conceded just ten goals in their previous 28 domestic
fixtures this term. Tim Clancy’s men hadn’t tasted defeat at home all season
and looked dangerous going into the game with their new look attack of Ruairí
Keating, Sean Maguire and 17 year old Cathal O’Sullivan.
It was a scrappy affair from the start, with City coming
close through Paul McMullan after a disguised free kick from Will Patching just
six minutes in. Seconds later and a late tackle from Pat Hoban brought Darragh
Crowley to the ground, much to the dismay of the Cork fans. An early yellow
card for the City striker. The home side had an opportunity of their own two
minutes later when a loose ball in the box fell to Ruairí Keating, who blazed
over from short range. Sean Maguire had his own close effort before the quarter
hour mark – Cork’s star men showing their attacking prowess early on. The rest
of the first half had a real cup tie feel, the home side wouldn’t let Derry
settle and had the better of the chances. Sean Maguire’s dink over Brian Maher
on the stroke of half-time looked like it would open the scoring, but Ciaran
Coll’s hooked clearance kept City level going into the break.
The away side came out fighting in the second spell as the introduction
of Sam Todd for the booked Adam O’Reilly saw Ciaran Coll move to right back and
Cameron Dummigan into midfield, as well as giving City more height in the back
line. Derry looked like a threat from set pieces in the second spell – Ben
Doherty’s inswingers were narrowly diverted wide on two occasions. With twenty
minutes left to go, one was finally nodded in. It was Sam Todd who made the run
into the centre of the box before rising highest to see his header clip the
underside of the bar and go past Bradley Wade in the Cork goal. A first goal in
red and white for Todd, and a precious lead for City in their quest for cup
glory. After a scare in the 84th minute when Keating’s ball across
the face of the box was knocked wide at the back post, City held on to claim
victory and progress to the quarter-finals for the first time since winning the
competition in 2022.
Derry City:
As I said earlier, the performance against Cork wasn’t one
for the football purist. It was a proper cup tie. City rode their luck at times
but pounced when they really needed too, and kept a clean sheet against a side
who have scored, on average, 1.53 goals per game this term. The defending was
resolute, whilst Brian Maher was to thank for some big saves throughout the
game. Sam Todd was the unlikely hero, but there’s something authentic about a
big centre-back converting a corner to progress in cup football. With only
eight teams now remaining in the cup, four of whom play in the First Division,
City will fancy their chances at cup glory. Shelbourne, who we can’t go a game
without mentioning this year, will set their sights on a first cup triumph since
2000. Bohemians, who scraped past Kerry FC on penalties, and Drogheda United,
who put nine past Wilton United, are the other two Premier Division teams. Neither
of those would be easy wins. UCD provided the shock of the round, aside from
Kerry taking Bohs to penalties, as they beat Sligo Rovers 2-0 in their own
backyard. Athlone Town beat Friday’s opponents Waterford late in extra-time,
whilst Treaty United beat Pike Rovers 7-0 and Wexford put Ballyfermot United to
the sword with a 3-0 win.
There’s been one in and one out of the Brandywell in the
past week. I’ll start with Jordan McEneff, Derry’s top scorer last season. He joined
UEFA Conference League group stage (sorry, ‘league phase’) hopefuls Larne FC on
Monday for an undisclosed fee. The 23 year old scored nine times in two years
for City, including the fourth goal in City’s 2022 FAI Cup final victory over
Shelbourne. McEneff struggled for game-time this season after breaking his foot
in April and, getting a fee for a player who could leave for free come November
isn’t the worst business in the world.
Never in a million years did I think Andre Wisdom would be lining
out for Derry City when he broke into Liverpool’s first team under Brendan
Rodgers in 2012/13, but here we are. Now 31, Wisdom played 14 times for the Anfield
side and appeared in the Premier League around 50 times in spells with Norwich
City and West Bromwich Albion. A £3m switch to Derby County in July 2017
followed an impressive loan spell in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg. Wisdom
made 130 appearances for Derby before taking a career break after being stabbed
in 2020. Most recently plying his trade for Worthington in the National League
North, Andre Wisdom is looking to get his career back on track with the Candystripes.
The former England U21 captain is a natural right back but can deputise at
centre back, offering Ruaidhrí Higgins much needed defensive cover. The deal
works for all parties, City get the experience of a former Premier League
defender and Wisdom gets a short-term contract to keep his options open at the
end of the current LOI season. At 31, he could be an astute signing if he
impresses in red and white and is offered a new deal for 2025. There are also
rumblings of another addition before the end of the month too...
Jacob Davenport, impressive in his debut against Dundalk two
weeks ago, was the glaring omission from the team sheet against Cork City. The
Englishman has had a niggle or two since signing from Morecambe in July. Ronan
Boyce was another omission, as was Mark Connolly – two players who Higgins will
want to keep fit from now until the end of the season. Danny Mullen started
alongside Pat Hoban in the City attack, but was marshalled well by the home
side’s defence. Hoban will come up against his closest rival for the golden
boot on Friday when he faces Waterford’s Padraig Amond. Amond sits one goal
behind Hoban with eleven this season.
Waterford:
Promoted to the Premier Division via the play-offs last
season, Waterford have settled nicely into life back in the top flight. After
scoring 84 goals in 36 league games in 2023, Keith Long’s men took a while to
get going in the Premier Division. After winning just one of their opening six,
the Blues went on a run of winning eight of their next twelve league games to
climb the table heading into the summer. Despite hitting a rocky patch of late,
winning just two of their last five domestically and being knocked out of the
FAI Cup by First Division promotion hopefuls Athlone Town, Waterford find
themselves firmly in the hunt for European football. They currently find
themselves in third place after 27 games, joint on points with Sligo Rovers in
fourth and six behind Derry City in second. The Munster-men are out for revenge
after they were denied a licence to play in Europa League qualifiers in 2019,
as they aim to compete in European competition for the first time since losing
6-1 to Bordeaux over two legs in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1986-87.
Waterford’s current tally of 37 league goals scored has them
as the second highest scoring team in the Premier Division, behind only Derry
City. A big portion of that, well 35.1% to be exact, is down to the exploits of
former EFL stalwart Pádraig Amond. The 36 year old striker, who scored against
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City during his 13 year spell in England, has
contributed to 13 goals for Waterford this term – 11 goals and 2 assists. He
finds himself behind only Derry City’s Pat Hoban in the goalscoring charts. Amond
scored both Waterford goals in their recent cup defeat to Athlone. His 105th
minute strike to put the hosts 2-1 up looked like it would have sealed the game
before Aaron Connolly (not the former Hull City striker) and Peter McGregor
scored twice in the last five minutes of extra time to send The Town through –
late, late heartbreak for the Blues.
One player who stood out in a Waterford shirt this campaign
was winger Maleace Asamoah. His return of 7 goal involvements in 17 games
showed promise, so much so that Fleetwood Town recalled him early from his loan
in order to link up with former Derry winger Ryan Graydon at the League One
side. Aside from Amond’s eleven goal
haul and Asamoah’s impressive six from the wing, Christie Pattison’s four goals
sees him third in the club’s scoring chart for the campaign. The goals are
spread about the pitch for Waterford though, with eleven different players
bagging in the league in 2024, including three defenders.
Connor Parsons’ curling effort lifted the roof in Tallaght last
November, being the goal that sent Waterford back to the Prem for the first
time in three years. The Englishman has featured in 27 league fixtures this
season and is dangerous as a number 10 or as a winger. Northern Ireland youth
international Barry Baggley is tidy in the centre of the park and returned from
a three month injury at the end of July. Another NI youth player at Waterford
is Samuel Glenfield, whose inch perfect 81st minute strike away to
Bohemians in Dalymount completed a 3-2 comeback after being 2-0 down at
half-time two weeks ago. Left back Darragh Leahy leads the assists chart with
three goals and will play on Friday despite being sent off against Athlone Town
after a successful appeal from his club. Some say that a successful appeal to
the FAI is rarer than that moon we saw this week.
Waterford are a team with good fighting spirit and threats
across the pitch. They’ve come back to win or draw after going behind five
times this season – two of which have been turning 2-0 deficits to 4-2 and 3-2
wins against Drogheda United and Bohemians respectively. They also survived a
scare when our neighbours to the west, Cockhill Celtic, went 1-0 up in the RSC
in the FAI Cup second round a month ago. The Blues have failed to beat the
current top two this season, failing to score against Derry City since 2021 and
being winless against Shelbourne since 2020. Fellow promoted side Galway United
are the only other team that Waterford have failed to beat this term.
Round – up:
I’ll probably have jinxed this, but Derry City are the only
team who Waterford haven’t taken points off this term. In the three previous
meetings between the two this year, City have won 3-0 twice and 2-0. That’s an
aggregate score of 8-0, keeping three clean sheets against the side closest to
them in terms of goals scored and league position. It’s an extremely impressive
record if you’re of a Derry persuasion, especially when you consider that the
Blues haven’t beaten City at home in four and a half years. Waterford have only
drawn four games this season, compared to the Candystripes’ ten – the joint most
in the league. With just nine league games left for Derry City to overcome the
two point gap between themselves and Shelbourne, whilst avoiding the likes of
Waterford, Sligo Rovers and Shamrock Rovers pushing them in a late race for the
title, it really is crunch time in the Premier Division. A win for City on
Friday would do wonders in keeping Waterford at arm’s length. It's a second against third with just over two months of the campaign to go, it's a bigger game than people may think. A loss could see
Shelbourne step a foot closer to lifting the title should the beat Bohemians in
Tolka, whilst giving up precious ground to the teams on the peripheries of
European spots. This football craic is bad news for the blood pressure
Pól O'Hare - 21st August 2024
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