TUBBRITT.NET

January 29, 2003

Season 2002

eircom National League First Division

Waterford United

Limerick

Date	26/01/2003
Score (Blues First)	1 - 0
Venue	RSC, Waterford
Kick Off	3.15pm
Attendance	2,050
Weather	Bright sunny day
Referee	A Buttimer
Goal Scorers	Byrne
Cards	None
Pitch	terrible condition really cut up

Player	Rating	Comment
Russell	7	Handy game for our No1
Leahy	8	Steady as a rock again
Frost	7	Captain fantastic on the day
Byrne	8	Super performance best player for last 2 months
Breen	8	Passed the ball well
Cosgrove R	7	A few brilliant crosses but has to be more consistent
O'Brien	7	Not his best game, fell away towards end of season
Fitzgerald	7	worked hard in middle
Waters	7	a bit quiet in the game
O'Sullivan	8	good movement and first touch like all season
Murphy	8	Ran at defence well
SUBS
Mallon	7	Enjoy run on the day
Crosgrove	7	Did well at right full
Di Lella	7	good ball player not helped by surface

We were CHAMPIONS before this match started and the large crowd turned up to cheer the Blues into the Premier League and look forward to the visit of Shelbourne, Bohemians, Rovers, St Pats, Cork City and Derry to the RSC next year.

It must be said that this was possibly the worst game in the RSC all season and certainly the worst condition of a pitch I've seen for many a day. It was hard to blame the players for a poor show on a surface that was more like a ploughed up field than a soccer pitch. The release of Balloons into the bright winter sky, the noise from the stand, the flying of flags and the gesture of the Limerick players to clap the Blues onto the pitch lead to a super atmosphere as the Home team took to the pitch. Unfortunelatly the game did not live up to hype created on the Cork Road. Our captain John Frost had to be withdrawn with an injury early in the first half and it took the Blues well into the second half to score when Willie Bryne rose above the opposition defence and headed the ball into the net.

What a season 13 wins, 7 draws and only 2 defeats with 37 goals scored. At the start of the campaign none of us had much hope of winning the league, even though we did think that we should scrap into the playoff's. Our early form in the First Division Cup was terrible and we needed a replay to beat Limerick in the FAI Cup first Round. But great credit has to be handed to Jimmy, Giles and the players for turning the season around and winning the league by 5 points.

To say this is the easy part done is doing a great disservice to all involved in Waterford United. Yes next season will be tough, no one will disagree with that, but hopefully with some transfer money from the Board The Blues can survive in the Premier Division. We should start well with momentum from this season but its how we will fair out in the middle of the season will tell our destiny. But lets enjoy being up again and start to build for the future in the Premier Division.