Teenager Mason Melia scored for the third match running as St Patrick's Athletic made it three league wins on the bounce for the first time this season.
Having hit their winner in Dundalk last time out, 16-year-old striker Melia added to Zach Elbouzedi’s opener in capping a dominant first half by Stephen Kenny’s side as they beat Blues for the first time in six games.
FULL MATCH DETAILS
Aidan Keena scored a late third as St Pat's, who, though they remain seventh, are now two points behind fifth-placed Waterford and five off third place with six games to play.
Brimming with confidence, St Pat’s started positively, coming within inches of the lead inside three minutes.
Anto Breslin found Chris Forrester down the inside left channel with a ball out of defence. The Saints talisman laid it into the path of Brandon Kavanagh whose first time shot came back off Sam Sargeant’s crossbar.
Minutes later, Sergeant, back between the Waterford posts following an eight-week lay off with a wrist injury, turned Kavanagh’s deceptive delivery round a post.
Sergeant had to be at his best again on 24 minutes with the save of the first half as St Pat’s maintained the pressure.
Kavanagh, central to much of St Pat’s attacking threat, spun Rowan McDonald to let fly with a shot that was destined for the top corner before Sergeant pushed it round a post.
It was the half hour before Blues threatened, skipper Barry Baggley forcing Joseph Anang to touch his arced delivery out for Waterford's first corner of the night.
Sprung to life, Blues worked Anang again four minutes later.
Baggley and Padraig Amond set-up wingback Ryan Burke whose drive was batted away by the keeper.
Just when Waterford thought they had got a foothold in the game, they were suckerpunched on the counterattack as St Pat’s took a 36th minute lead.
Kavanagh was again instrumental, finding the run of Elbouzedi who skipped beyond Burke to outfox Sergeant and shoot home at the near post for his first league goal for Saints.
With the game having opened right up, Waterford might have been level within a minute, Anang getting down well to Amond’s snapshot.
St Pat’s went straight down the other end to punish poor defending to double the lead on 38 minutes.
In trying to flick the ball clear, Baggley merely succeeded in touching Jake Mulraney’s pass into the path of Melia who didn’t break his stride as he blasted to the roof of the net.
Chasing the game, Waterford were first to threaten on the resumption, Burke drilling wide from Amond’s skilful lay off.
Though Keith Long’s side continued to enjoy plenty of the ball, St Pat’s kept their shape well with Anang a solid presence behind a defence well marshalled by skipper Joe Redmond and Tom Grivosti.
Two substitutes then combined to add St Pat’s third goal on 78 minutes.
Kian Leavy surged forward to feed the ball to Keena and though the striker's drive came down off the underside of the crossbar and bounced out, assistant referee Darren Carey flagged that it had crossed the line.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Axel Sjoberg, Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Anto Breslin; Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester; Zach Elbouzedi (Kian Leavy 63), Brandon Kavanagh (Jay McClelland 84), Jake Mulraney (Luke Turner 63); Mason Melia (Aidan Keena 75).
Waterford: Sam Sargeant; Grant Horton (Shane Flynn 82), Darragh Leahy, Kacper Radkowski; Darragh Power, Rowan McDonald, Barry Baggley (Ben McCormack 82), Dean McMenamy (sam Glenfield 82), Ryan Burke; Padraig Amond, Sam Bellis (Gbemi Arubi 87).
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
Attendance: 4,237.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
