Cobh Ramblers continued their promotion push by getting their first league win over Waterford since 2017, with Wilson Waweru scoring the only goal of this SSE Airtricity Men's First Division fixture at St Colman's Park.
After the striker rounded Paul Martin and broke the deadlock, Shane Keegan’s players resisted a siege from a Blues team that had not lost in six games.
Waterford played with the same intensity from their recent victories over Finn Harps and Treaty United, as they had Cobh pinned inside their own half from the whistle. The pressure almost paid off when Barry Baggley sent a cross to Thomas Olowa, but Charlie Lyons stopped the striker from getting a touch.
The Blues kept going with Baggley having a shot from outside the area blocked and Ronan Coughlan fumbled a low cross that Niall O’Keeffe sent in.
Despite all of their possession, Waterford could only manage one shot on target during this spell and Roland Idowu’s attempt went straight into the hands of Lee Stacey.
Cobh played with a 3-5-2 formation and the strike partnership of Jack Doherty and Waweru caused real problems for the Waterford back-line. They worked in tandem to create space for each other and this freed up Waweru, and he rattled the crossbar.
All of this work by Keegan's team was almost undone with a swift Waterford counter attack that set up Connor Parsons. The midfielder shot from outside the area and Lyons jumped in to block this.
His defensive work was the last piece of action of the first half, and the two teams went into the break drawing 0-0.
The second half opened up with Waweru running into the box from the right and getting around Martin. His shot landed on the line, and despite Tunmise Sobowale trying to claw it out, it fell in and Cobh took the lead in the 53rd minute.
Waterford peppered the Cobh penalty area as they pushed for an equaliser, and the Ramblers comfortably held out their attempts from distance.
The Ramblers tried breaking with Darragh O’Sullivan Connell and Conor Drinan, and this led to a throw-in in the final third of the pitch. They used this to set up Lee Desmond and his cross to the back post was headed just over by Tiernan O’Brien.
Waterford went up the pitch in numbers after this and a low attempt from Eddie Nolan got stopped by Stacey.
The goalkeeper was then needed to deal with a side footed attempt from Coughlan in the 85th minute.
Waterford thought they equalised in injury time through a deflected O’Keeffe shot, but this was ruled out over an offside inside the penalty area.
Cobh Ramblers: Lee Steacy; Justin Eguaibor, Brendan Frahill, Charlie Lyons, Wilston Waweru (Jake Hegarty 84), Pierce Philips (Callum Stringer 79), Jack Doherty (Conor Drinan 49), Darragh O’Sullivan Connell, Luke Desmond (Charlie O’Brien 76), Tiernan O’Brien, Jason Abbott.
Waterford FC: Paul Martin; Ryan Burke, Niall O’Keeffe, Eddie Nolan (Romeo Akachukwu 84), Barry Baggley, Thomas Oluwa (Wassim Aouachria 67), Connor Parsons, Tunmise Sobowale (Shane Griffin 71), Ronan Coughlan, Roland Idowu, Killian Cantwell.
Referee: Ray Matthews
Galway United continued their march to the league title with a 4-0 home win over Longford Town.
The runaway leaders broke the deadlock in the 48th minute through Dave Hurley. Rob Slevin powered home a header six minutes later to make it two, with Conor O'Keeffe and Hurley again - with a penalty - wrapping up the points.
Galway are now 15 points clear of second-placed Waterford.
Treaty United turned over Athlone Town on their own patch, comign away with a 2-0 success.
Enda Curran lobbed home the opener on 21 minutes, and though Sthlone pressed hard for a leveller, Willie Armshaw killed it off in stoppage time.
Aaron Dobbs 64th-minute goal gave Wexford a 1-0 win at Finn Harps, while Bray Wanderers held off a spirited Kerry FC in an entertaining clash at the Carlisle Grounds.
Darren Craven fired Bray ahead three minutes in. Leonardo Gaxha equalised but Ben Feeney restored the home side's lead just before the break. Chris Lyons made it 3-1 with Cian Brosnan making it intersting with a second Kerry goal two minutes from the end.
