Waterford 2

Dundalk 1

Adrian Flanagan reports from the RSC

CASH-STRAPPED DUNDALK slipped to their fifth defeat in seven games to remain bottom of the Premier Division.

First-half goals from Sam Bellis and Padraig Amond saw Waterford claim their first win in three as they moved back into third spot in the table.

It was a bad end to the week for the visitors after their owner, Brian Ainscough, released a statement revealing the club needs investment to ensure it can survive the remainder of the campaign with recent wages to staff going unpaid.

Off field woe translated to what happened on it and 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 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 pin-point cross from the Blues skipper before heading past the helpless Munro.

The hosts were fortunate not to concede a penalty and a potential red card on the half hour mark. Horgan got free down the right before teeing up Kenny, who saw his goalbound effort clearly handled by 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 keeper Ross 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 when the two substitutes combined down the right as Jad Hakiki cut into the area to set up Jamie Gullen and his daft 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 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: 2,226