EA Sports Cup. First Round
Waterford United 4
Rockmount 0
Matt Keane reports
Waterford United made it three wins on the trot when they defeated Rockmount at the RSC on Easter Monday.
Following away wins in the league against UCD and Cabinteely a much changed team proved too strong against a club who have caused problems in past seasons.
This latest victory has set up a second round meeting with Cork City in Turners Cross in mid April.
The home side got off to the perfect start by scoring after only seven minutes. Darren Murphy won control of the ball in the middle of the park and when he played it forward Eoin Rhodes displayed excellent composure inside the penalty area and duly slotted the ball past the advancing goalkeeper Edward Kenny.
Corey Chambers produced his second save of the game on 23 minutes by brilliantly tipping over a cracking shot from Alan O’Connor who was left alone 15 yards from goal. The hosts then went two goals in front on 28 minutes. Jimmy Dermody took a free kick just inside the halfway line on the left side of the pitch. Dean Broaders headed the ball into the path of Eoin Rhodes and he gleefully cracked home his second goal from close range.
The game was more or less put to bed on 33 minutes when United went three in front. Aaron O’Connor placed the ball into the slipstream of Jimmy Dermody who reached the ball before goalkeeper Edward Kenny and the former Wexford Youths player tucked the ball to the net from six yards. The Rockmout custodian got injured in that incident and had to be replaced by Jordan O’Connor.
The Blues notched up their fourth goal on 59 minutes when Aaron O’Connor sent in a low ball from the left to Dean Broaders who beat replacement goalkeeper Jordan O’Connor at his near post.
Substitute Jake Mooney, who had come on for Eoin Rhodes on the hour mark, went close six minutes after his introduction but his lob from 30 yards went narrowly over the crossbar. The remainder of the game simply petered without any real action of note as the game was well and truly out of reach of the visitors at that stage.
WATERFORD UNITED: Corey Chambers, Dean Reidy, Jimmy Dermody, Colum Nugent, Roy Butler, Richie Tobin, Aaron O’Connor, Darren Murphy (Robbie Buckley `53) Eoin Rhodes (Jake Mooney `60) Dean Broaders, Dylan McGuire.
ROCKMOUNT: Edward Kenny (Jordan O’Connor `35) Darren Mannix, Graeme Keane (Cian O’Driscoll `46) David Aherne (James Carson `46) Chris Byrne, John Gaffney, Edwin Buckley, Vincent Lonergan, Jamie Murphy, Daniel Ahearne, Alan O’Connor.
REFEREE: Pat O’Connor. Assistants. Adam Tszample, Brian Fenlon.