Cash-strapped Dundalk slipped to their fifth defeat in seven games to remain bottom of the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division as first-half goals from Sam Bellis and Padraig Amond saw Waterford FC claim their first win in three as they moved back into third spot in the table.
The game was less than five minutes old when Waterford struck the front. Grant Horton’s long ball out of defence held up in the wind that caught out defender Hayden Cann under pressure from Padraig Amond, and when Sam Bellis latched onto the ball, he beat keeper Ross Munro at his near post.
After both Eoin Kenny and Daryl Horgan had chances to level for Dundalk, it was a brilliant Waterford move down the left that yielded a second goal on 16 minutes.
Bellis and Amond linked up down the left with the latter passing to Barry Baggley, before continuing his run into the centre where he met the pinpoint cross from the Blues skipper to head past the helpless Munro.
The hosts were fortunate not to concede a penalty and a potential red card on the half hour mark.
Horgan was set free down the right before teeing up Eoin Kenny, who saw his goal-bound effort clearly handled by Grant Horton, but referee Rob Hennessy awarded a corner and cautioned the attacker for his protests.
Waterford won a 51st minute corner-kick out on the right-side that saw Ryan swing the ball in, but his effort came crashing back off the crossbar with Munro in no-man’s-land as the hosts tried to get a third to put the game to bed.
The visitors halved the deficit on 76 minutes with two substitutes combining down the right as Jad Hakiki cut into the area to set up Jamie Gullen and his deft finish from close-range gave keeper Jones no chance.
Dundalk did have two chances to level the contest on 86 minutes when firstly Jones saved a header from Daniel Pike before John Mountney missed a big header after Daryl Horgan’s right-wing delivery as the Blues held out for the win.
Waterford FC: Jones; Power, Horton, Radkowski, Leahy, Burke (Flynn 90+4); McDonald, McMenamy (McCormack 72), Baggley; Bellis (Arubi 80), Amond
Dundalk: Munro; Boyle, Pike, Cann, McGill (Hakiki 61); Mountney, Kenny (Gullen 72), Horgan, Dervin, Benson (Keane 72); O’Kane (Mahon 61).
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick).
Attendance: 2226
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