Waterford FC dominate Sligo Rovers to reach FAI Cup semi-finals
Waterford FC are back in the last four of the Club Orange FAI Men’s Cup, and they did it with a ruthless second-half surge that blew Sligo Rovers away at the RSC.
Graham Coughlan’s side were nowhere near their fluent best before the break, but they still went in ahead thanks to the sharp instincts of Pádraig Amond. After half-time, they simply overpowered Sligo. Tommy Lonergan struck, Ollie Denham turned into his own net, and the tie was effectively over long before the final whistle.
Amond settles early nerves
The tone was set inside eight minutes. Conan Noonan hooked a clever ball towards the back post, where Lonergan nodded it back across goal. Amond’s first header was blocked by Sam Sargeant, but Waterford kept the move alive.
The rebound dropped to Evan McLaughlin, who slipped a neat pass back into Amond’s path. This time the veteran finished with composure, guiding a right-footed effort from close range into the net and calming any early jitters among the home crowd.
Waterford almost undid that good work five minutes later. Benny Couto coughed up possession with a loose pass straight to Luke Pearce, and suddenly the Sligo striker was racing clear. Stephen McMullan stood firm, darting from his line to smother at Pearce’s feet and preserve the lead.
McLaughlin then lashed over from the edge of the box, and from there Sligo began to grow into the game. They saw more of the ball, probed down the flanks and finally carved out a real opening on 39 minutes. Seb Quirk took a pass from Gareth McElroy and whipped in a teasing cross, only for Archie Meekison to miss his connection entirely.
Just before the interval, Waterford should have doubled their advantage. Jorgen Voilas threaded Amond through, 16 yards out, and the striker unleashed a thunderous drive. It beat Sargeant but not Carl McHugh, the Sligo captain retreating to head off the line in a superb piece of defending.
Waterford explode after the break
If that escape gave Sligo hope, it didn’t last long.
Five minutes into the second half, Waterford struck again. Couto released Noonan down the left, and the winger’s deep cross picked out Voilas at the back post. He nodded the ball down perfectly for Lonergan, who drilled a crisp right-footed shot past Sargeant from around 10 yards. Clinical. 2-0, and the RSC finally relaxed.
The pressure only intensified. On 59 minutes, the third goal arrived and it felt like a fair reflection of Waterford’s dominance since the restart. Noah Mawene fed McLaughlin down the left, and the winger whipped a vicious ball across the face of goal. Denham, stretching to deal with it, could only divert it into his own net.
Waterford were rampant now. Three minutes later, they almost had a fourth. Couto laid the ball back to McLaughlin on the edge of the area and he let fly with a powerful left-footed strike. Sargeant, again exposed, flung himself upwards and tipped it over brilliantly.
Sligo tried to muster a response. Their best moment came on 71 minutes when substitute Alex Nolan cut across a left-footed effort that flashed narrowly wide of McMullan’s left-hand post. It was as close as they came.
By the time Coughlan began to empty his bench in the closing stages, the contest had drifted into formality. Waterford stroked the ball around, protected their clean sheet and managed minutes, safe in the knowledge their semi-final spot was already in the bag.
For a club chasing silverware and momentum, this was exactly the kind of statement second half they wanted. The question now is whether they can carry that same ruthless edge into the last four.
Waterford FC: McMullan; Cann (Amedu 88), Mahon, Long; Voilas, Mawene (Heeney 85), McLaughlin (McMenamy 71), Noonan, Couto (Ashton 88); Amond (Brennan 85), Lonergan.
Sligo Rovers: Sargeant; McElroy, McHugh (Young 64), Denham, Stewart (Cannon 85); George (Nolan 64), McManus, Quirk, Meekison (Woolery 75), Shorrock; Pearce.
Referee: Rob Hennessy
