Bohemians 0 Waterford 1
Courtney Duffus kept Waterford’s season on the boil with a delightful first half winner as Bohemians were left utterly frustrated at Dalymount Park.
Despite dominating for good spells and creating plenty of chances the home side couldn’t pierce a dogged Waterford defence.
And to compound their woes, manager Keith Long was sent to the stand early in the second half as only goal difference now keeps his side above the relegation playoff place.
Though Bohemians began positively they were behind against the run of play on 17 minutes as Waterford scored with their only clearcut chance of the first half.
Bohemians were aggrieved at not being awarded a throw-in at one end. Waterford broke with Duffus linking with Ismahil Akinade before cutting a little two easily past two defenders to get the ball onto his right foot and rifle it to the net from close range for a well-taken sixth goal of the season.
An unlikely source almost brought Bohemians an equaliser three minutes later.
Another Ward free kick on the left was met by the head of Blues’ midfielder Bastien Hery who was happy to see his keeper Lawrence Vigouroux dive full stretch to push the wayward attempted clearance out for a corner.
Bohemians kept playing into the second half and were left incensed 10 minutes in at not being awarded a penalty when Dylan Watts certainly appeared to have been bundled over by Garry Comerford.
Such was their ire, Long was sent to the stand for remonstrating with fourth official Neil Doyle on the sideline.
It did serve to rouse Bohs further. Ward brought a save low down from Vigouroux before Devaney shot wide across goal having conjured a one-two with Corcoran.
But, try as they might, they couldn’t find an equaliser as Waterford held out for a scarcely deserved three points.
BOHEMIANS: Supple; Buckley (Morris, 90), Cornwall, Casey, Leahy; Brennan (Gannon, 85), Watts; Devaney (Grant, 73), Ward, Stokes; Corcoran.
WATERFORD: Vigouroux; Barnett, Comerford, Feely, Daly (Puri, 73); Keegan; Kasmi (Martin, 81), Hery, Aborah; Akinade, Duffus.
Referee: Ray Matthews (Longford).
Limerick 0 Derry City 3
The scoreline flattered Derry at the Markets Field as lack of scoring power again cost Limerick dearly with some very good chances not availed of in the second half.
Aaron McEneff scored twice in the second half for the visitors, the second of which came two minutes into added time when he converted a penalty after he was brought down in the box.
Limerick should have gone in front in the first minute but Shane Duggan shot over from 12 yards from a Karl O’Sullivan cross who then almost put Danny Morrissey through but the latter could not connect.
Derry came more into the game and Aaron McEneff shot over from a free and Limerick had a fortunate break after 17 minutes when McEneff created the chance for Rory Patterson whose shot took a deflection into the arms of the home goalkeeper Brendan Clarke. Nicky Low shot inches wide for the visitors who were denied by a superb Clarke save from Patterson after 22 minutes.
But there was nothing the goalkeeper could have done on the stroke of halftime when Derry finally grabbed the lead. A through ball from Rory Hale found Patterson who slipped past the defence to beat Clarke.
Limerick’s Danny Morrissey shot into the side netting to waste another chance after 56 minutes but Derry were twice denied by Clarke.
After 83 minutes Limerick substitute Mark O’Sullivan fluffed a great chance and 60 seconds later Derry had their second when the outstanding McEneff hit a powerful shot that Clarke could not stop before he added a third in in stoppage time with a well-taken penalty.
LIMERICK FC: Clarke, Karl O'Sullivan, Whitehead, Wearen (Maguire 81), brouder, Fitzgerald, Cantwell, Duggan, Clifford, murphy (Mark O'Sullivan 71), Morrissey.
DERRY CITY: Doherty, McEneff, McDonagh, Rory Hale (Doherty 85), R Curtis (Ronan Hale 76), Patterson, Peers, Toal, Cole (McDermott 64), Doyle, Low.
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).
Sligo Rovers 2 Bray Wanderers 1
Martin Russell was in the Bray dugout as the league’s bottom team fell to another defeat at the Showgrounds on Monday night.
With his appointment imminent, Russell watched his new charges match their hosts for the opening 30 minutes and they really should have been ahead on 33 minutes, when Daniel Kelly found space in the area.
But goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney made himself big to make a vital stop, and Rovers had the ball in the net at the opposite end less than a minute later.
Adam Wixted crossed perfectly to Greg Moorhouse at the back post, and the former Glenavon man headed back across goal for midfielder Jack Keaney to nod home his first goal for the club.
Eduardo Pinceli grabbed the second just five minutes after Keaney’s opener, as Wixted delivered another perfect ball for the Brazilian to head home.
The hosts went close again in the final quarter, as Lewis Morrison saw a shot saved by Moran, and Moorhouse’s rebound was cleared off the line by Sean Heaney.
And they were left with a nervy finish when Cory Galvin fired the ball low past Beeney on a Bray counter-attack with eight minutes remaining.
SLIGO ROVERS: Beeney, Waters, Mahon, McClean, Donelon, Pinceli (Morrison 74), Keaney, McCabe, Wixted (McAleer 66), Cretaro (Roy 85), Moorhouse.
BRAY WANDERERS: Moran, Hayes, Douglas, Kenna, Lynch, Galvin, McKenna, Gorman, Heaney, Kelly, Pender (Coughlan 66).
Referee: R Hennessy.
