A hat-trick from Maleace Asamoah and another from Christie Pattison ensured a third win in seven days for Waterford against Dundalk at the RSC, as the newly-promoted side moved up to fourth in the Premier Division table.
Not since the summer of 2021 have the Blues had three wins on the spin in the top flight but Keith Long's team are the form side in the division right now with this result coming on the back of a 1-0 win away to Sligo Rovers last Friday and a 3-1 win over champions Shamrock Rovers four days earlier.
While Waterford had the best away record in the league coming into this game, their home record was the worst in the division with just five points taken at the RSC prior to this and just one victory against St Patrick’s Athletic at the start of March.
They proved much too strong in the end for a beleaguered Dundalk side who have now slipped six points adrift of their neighbours Drogheda United at the foot of the table.
Noel King’s side found Asamoah unplayable with the 21-year-old’s second goal on 44 minutes proving crucial in turning the game after Robbie Benson had brought the visitors level in a period in which they were well on top.
Confidence is low amongst the Co Louth side at present, however, and question marks remain over the extent of King’s role with Brian Gartland and Liam Burns once again the most active on the touchline.
While Dundalk struggle, Waterford are on the up and they now sit just three points behind Shamrock Rovers in third and six points behind Shelbourne at the summit with a game in hand over both sides.
The Blues got off to a flyer when they hit the front with their first attack after just 97 seconds. Asamoah won the kick-out from goalkeeper Ross Munro, back in the side following George Shelvey’s 10-match ban for a racist comment made at full-time of the Lilywhites’ defeat to Drogheda Utd four days earlier, before beating Zak Johnson to break up the left and slot to the bottom right-hand corner.
The home side continued to dominate for a spell after that with Connor Parsons looking destined to score but for a last-ditch tackle from Andy Boyle before Dean McMenamy was denied by the legs of Munro on 10 minutes.
To their credit, Dundalk grew into the game and having fired wide from range two minutes earlier, Benson then levelled matters on 22 minutes when he raced onto a disguised pass from Jamie Gullan to slot past Sam Sergeant to the bottom right-hand corner.
Archie Davies then had an effort deflected wide after being teed up by Cameron Elliott before a hugely-controversial moment on 36 minutes when Gullan was harshly booked for diving just outside the box by referee David Dunne after Sargeant had come charging out of his box feet first following a spill by the keeper.
Waterford had been very much playing second fiddle at that stage but they retook the lead a minute before the break when Asamoah swept home his second from eight yards out after Parsons had done well to get to the end line on the right and cut the ball back to him.
The Louth men went in immediate search of an equaliser on the restart and on 48 minutes Davies weaved his way into the box from the right to get a shot away on his left foot but it was cleared by Kacper Radkowski before Gullan's follow up was blocked at the expense of a corner by Parsons.
Their night went from bad to worse when they lost goalscorer Benson to an injury on 53 minutes and from the resulting corner, Parsons’ effort was blocked by Zak Johnson with the ball falling kindly to Pattison following a bit of pinball for the German-born midfielder to fire home from close-range.
Dundalk did go close to replying on 58 minutes but Elliott couldn’t keeper his header down from Daryl Horgan’s cross before Gullan sent a vicious effort just over moments later.
The result was put beyond doubt on 76 minutes when Asamoah completed his hat-trick with a curling effort over the back-tracking Munro after John Mountney had fluffed his lines with an attempted clearance.
The on-loan Fleetwood Town player should have had a penalty two minutes later after being bundled over in the box by Davies after skinning him on the left but was incredibly booked by referee Dunne in what was his last act before being withdrawn to a rapturous reception.
Waterford: Sam Sargeant; Darragh Power, Grant Horton, Kacper Radkowski, Darragh Leahy; Dean McMenamy (Ben McCormack 67), Rowan McDonald (Niall O'Keeffe 72); Maleace Asamoah (Gbemi Arubi 82), Christie Pattison, Connor Parsons (Harvey McAdam 67); Padraig Amond (Connor Evans 82).
Dundalk: Ross Munro; Hayden Muller (Paul Doyle 65), Zak Johnson, Andy Boyle, Zak Bradshaw; Koen Oostenbrink, Robbie Benson (John Mountney 52); Archie Davies, Jamie Gullan (Sam Durrant 87), Daryl Horgan (Ryan O’Kane 87); Cameron Elliott (Eoin Kenny 65).
Referee: David Dunne.
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