Padraig Amond stuns Shelbourne as Damien Duff fumes over flat display in home defeat to Waterford

The Irish Sun

05-05-2025

WATERFORD impressed watching new boss John Coleman but Damien Duff was less pleased with his charges.
Advertisement
2
Waterford scored the only goal of the game, courtesy of Padraig Almond
2
Shelbourne manager Damien Duff was left fuming with his champions after the defeat
Despite creating plenty of chances to equalise,
It did not make them any better and, having been content to try and contain the opponents before the break, the Blues had the better chances in the second half and should have had a penalty.
It means Shels have taken just two points from their last five games as their title challenge goes off the rails with Waterford winning three of their last four after a seven-game losing streak which saw Keith Long lose his job.
The visitors hit the front with the first chance of the game when on-loan Conan Noonan swung in a free-kick from the right.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
Amond found it too easy to climb above Kameron Ledwidge. Conor Kearns looked well positioned to save but succeeded only in pushing his header into the bottom corner.
An attempted lob by the veteran was Waterford's only real other chance in the first half with Shels exerting considerable pressure.
Evan Caffrey had an effort batted away, Kerr McInroy was just off target when a loose ball ricocheted to him at the edge of the box with Mipo Odubeko penalised when he caught Grant Horton when attempting a bicycle kick.
Harry Wood then picked out the exWest Ham striker with a fine-through ball but the striker dragged his effort wide of the far post.
Advertisement
Most read in Football
Exclusive
Then, when a Kacper Radowski header dropped to Wood, he played a one-two with Odubeko. His left-foot shot was blocked by Darragh Leahy with his right-foot effort deflected wide by Ryan Burke.
Burke also succeeded in taking another Wood effort off-target after Ellis Chapman had lofted the ball into him.
'Absolutely embarrassing' - Joey Barton does a Steve McClaren with French TV interview on return to Marseille_1
That was Chapman's last action as he, along with JJ Lunney, was hauled ashore with John Martin and Ali Coote sent on in their place.
Their pair combined well with Coote crossing for Martin whose header was pushed away by Stephen McMullan, who was booked before half-time for time-wasting.
Advertisement
Odubeko also teed up Caffrey from close range but he scuffed his effort wide of the near post.
The start of the second half saw fit-again Tyreke Wilson replace James Norris with Sam Bone and Dano Kelly - for his Shels debut - later introduced.
But there was no noticeable improvement with both sides hitting the bar.
Amond got away from Gannon and, after Mark Coyle blocked his first effort, he had another chance and dinked it for James Olayinka whose on-target effort was deflected onto the bar.
Advertisement
Waterford then had a strong penalty appeal turned down when Gannon's push on Tommy Lonergan was not spotted.
Shels nearly nicked a point in stoppage time but Odubeko hit the bar with Wood's rebound going wide.
SHELBOURNE 0 - 1 WATERFORD UNITED
SUN STAR MAN: Pádraig Amond
SHELBOURNE: Kearns 4; Gannon 6 (Bone 60, 6), Coyle 6, Ledwidge 5 (Kelly 74, 5); Caffrey 6, Wood 7, Lunney 5 (Coote 33, 6), McInroy 7, Norris 5 (Norris 46, ); Chapman 6 (Martin 33, 6); Odubeko 6.
Advertisement
WATERFORD: McMullan 7; Radkowski 6, Leahy 7, Burke 7; Horton 6, Glenfield 7 (McMenamy 73, 5), Olayinka 7 (McCormack 82, 5), White 6; Noonan 7; Amond 7, Lonergan 6 (Pouwels 78, 5).
REFEREE: M Lynch (Galway) 6