Back to match reports index

eircom National League First Division

Date	15/09/2001
Score (Blues First)	3 - 3
Venue	RSC, Waterford
Kick Off	6.00 PM
Attendance	300
Weather	Dry and Windy
Referee	Eddie Barr
Goal Scorers	Whittle D (2 pens), Wood
Cards	Yellow: D Whittle
Pitch	Looked fine

The ninety minutes were up, we were leading 3-2 and captain Breen goes to head the ball in the penalty box only to put his hand higher and give away the softest penalty ever seen in the RSC. To add insult to injury Donal Golden fired the ball home and the blues only gained a point.

The game started brightly for the Locals as our munster rivals gave us a present of a penalty after 5 minutes and David Whittle stepped forward to put the blues one up. This goal quieten the Cobh traveling support (yes they had supporter's at the game. Where they came from I do not know), but it did not lift the home fans as they remained as quiet as mice. The game was being played at no great pace and to be fair no team threatened either goalkeeper. With Fennelly injured it was Binders big chance between the Waterford posts and he looked comfortable and confident collecting balls and calling his back four. Midway through the half the Waterford defence tried to push up but were caught by a ball over the top and even tough Binder closed the angle the Cobh striker slotted the ball past him into the far top corner. Our midfield never got to grips with the game and the game seemed to by pass them, which is a pity because Dempsey likes to be on the ball spraying it around the pitch, but he was having an off day. At this stage you would hope that Whittle, Moore and Waters could lift their game and provide attacking football, but this never happened. It took another hand ball by a Cobh defender put see Waterford take the lead as David Whittle again grabbed the ball and fired past the helpless Cobh stopper. This goal saw us go in at half time with a slender lead.

Rea replaced O'Brien for the start of the second half and again PP moved his team around to make one change. With Dooley on the bench surely he could have fitted in at right full. It was defensive errors, which saw Cobh equalise, firstly we fell asleep at a corner and then without a challenge David Moore left the Cobh winger drive the ball across the six yard box which was easily tapped home to level the game. The movement of Wood and Watson was now starting to cause Cobh problems and it was Wood who put the blues ahead for a third time as he picked up the ball, beat the right full, composed himself to shoot home under the advancing keeper. We never looked in any danger after this and seemed to have the much needed points in the bag when in injury time, with no one around him Breen jumped and handled the ball to give Cobh a life line. It was ex blues striker Donal Golden who put the spot kick outside the reach of binder and into the net to send the Cobh fans wild as they some how gained a point from their short visit down the coast.

With this kind of action by his captain what can PP do to help us climb the table? I said it from the first match report of the season, we cannot give away bad defensive goals and from what we have seen tonight we again gave away three bad goals. At this level individual errors will cost you points, and this is unfortunately what we have witnessed this season.