Waterford’s incredible recovery under Graham Coughlan continued at the RSC as they moved out of the Premier Division’s bottom two for the first time this season with victory over a flat Bohemians, who lost for the first time in five league outings.
A sensational first half from Coughlan’s side saw them race into a 3-0 lead, courtesy of another Tommy Lonergan goal and a Padraig Amond double, each of which were assisted by Benny Couto.
Dayle Rooney netted a consolation for a jaded looking Bohs in the second haff, but this was never going to be enough as Waterford held on for their sixth league win in the thirteen games since Coughlan took charge back in May.
This result puts further pressure on Drogheda and Galway, with Waterford now moving ahead of Drogs and just two points off the Tribesmen.
Meanwhile Sligo Rovers look in real trouble now with the Bit O’Red six points adrift with Waterford to come to the Showgrounds on Saturday week.
An insatiable Waterford dominated this first half against a sloppy and disjointed looking Bohs side who made three changes from their Conference League defeat to Midtjylland in Tallaght on Thursday.
The hosts made one change in personnel from their victory over Shelbourne seven days ago, with Noah Mawene joining their midfield and it was he who was involved in the first ten seconds as Waterford began as they meant to continue.
The Fleetwood loanee found the in-form Lonergan but his early shot from the angle drifted wide.
Dunboyne native Longergan was involved again on eight minutes but couldn’t steady himself in time to properly test Bohs goalkeeper Paul Walters, after Conan Noonan had found the league’s top-scorer. Off balance, Lonergan’s low shot drifted wide to Walters’ right.
The first of a hat-trick of first half assists, Couto’s initial throw-in was repelled back to him by the Bohs rearguard. However, his resulting return was spot on for Lonergan to rise above his marker and nod beyond Walters for his fourteenth league goal of the year.
Padraig Amond of Waterford celebrates
The hosts, who play Athlone in the cup next weekend, had their second eight minutes from the break courtesy of further questionable defending from their opponents.
Again it was Couto the catalyst as the Gypsies failed to deal with the Portuguese full-back’s throw in. Walters got very little behind his attempted punch as the ball bounced off Amond and into the net.
The Blues were running riot by now and Amond had his brace and Waterford’s third just before the interval. One more Couto was the provider, this time from a corner, which Amond headed off the besieged Walters who could do little about the ball creeping past him at his back post.
A fuming Bohs bench made wholesale changes at half-time as Alan Reynolds introduced Senan Mullen, Ross Tierney and Sadou Diallo in an attempt to reverse the tide.
Tierney went close to giving Bohs a lifeline on 65 minutes when Waterford net-minder Stephen McMullan got in front of his header from a Darragh Power cross, which ended up striking the post. While Diallo blasted over from the edge of the area as the Dalymount outfit showed signs of a potential recovery.
Bohs continued to probe and were rewarded on 72 minutes when McMullan failed to keep hold of a shot from distance. Rooney pounced on the spilled ball first, converting with McMullan grounded and unable to recover.
The Munster men should have been out of sight barely two minutes after Rooney’s goal. Clever interplay between Lonergan and Amond allowed the latter the space to shoot from close range, but Walters did well to divert Amond’s placed effort over his crossbar.
McMullan allayed any fears of a possible Bohs comeback when the Armagh man pulled out a superb stop to deny Tierney Bohs’ second twelve from time
Waterford: Stephen McMullan; Hayden Cann, Kevin Long, John Mahon, Benny Couto (Joe Ashton 92); Conan Noonan (Dean McMenamy 92), Jordan Houston, Noah Mawene, Evan McLaughlin (Luke Heeney 92); Padraig Amond (Jorgen Voilas 87), Tommy Lonergan.
Bohemians: Paul Walters; Sam Todd, Pat Hickey, Cian Byrne; Dayle Rooney, Darragh Power (Senan Mullen HT); Niall Morahan (Ross Tierney HT), Jordan Flores (Connor Parsons 69), Harry Vaughan (Markuss Strods 79); Colm Whelan, Douglas James-Taylor (Sadou Diallo HT).
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.
Attendance: 2,766.