Waterford United 0-0 Kilkenny City
FAI Harp Lager League Cup
Thursday, August 21, 1997
At the Waterford RSC
Attendance: 300
Weather: Calm and clear, wet underfoot
Entertainment: Nil
The fans voted with their feet for this League Cup tie, and largely stayed at home. They were right.
They missed a poor contest with little incident between two sides clearly going through the motions. It was more like an end-of-season encounter than a start-of-season Cup tie.
Having both lost their first fixture of three in this competition, you might have expected both Waterford and Kilkenny to go at each other in a rip-roaring, nothing-to-lose fashion. They didn't.
The hosts started the match minus Paul Scully and Padraig Dully, with goalkeeper Niall Hubbard also out of action having picked an injury during a GAA club match in Kerry. In his stead, Junior League goalkeeper David Underwood.
Up front for the Blues was the shortest forward line since Chelsea's impish pair of John Spenser and Gavin Peacock - Joe Harkin and Paul Carr.
Kilkenny had their problems too - no Paschal Keane, Paul Cashin or Aidan Cooney; all out with injuries.
Waterford United started out by pumping a number of high balls forward in search of the front two, a move wisely shelved after a couple of minutes when it became apparent that neither striker was going to get a sniff of the ball.
Instead, the Blues' first opportunity came by another route on six minutes, with Colin Delahunty's accurate cross being nodded wide by Colin Fanning.
Paul Carr may not be the tallest striker in the world, but he's nippy. Having whizzed past Brendan Rea, Carr tested Cats keeper Ashley Stephenson with a lofted effort.
At the other end, David Underwood was stretched for the first time by a clever Ray Foley cross, set up by Pat McCarthy, which was met by the head of Richie Hale. The danger passed when it went out - but only just - for a corner.
Martin Reid mightn't be as speedy as he was during his time with Waterford United, but one thing he has kept is his strength, which Colin Delahunty will relate too, as he was barged over by Reid in what was seen by the referee as a fair shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. Delahunty shouldn't be too surprised if bruises pop up in the next few days!
Carr, an ever-present for Limerick last season where he top-scored, had a glorious opportunity on 23 which was set up by a marvellous left-wing cross from Fanning, but the new signing screwed in harmlessly wide from 15 yards.
The second half was equally dull, bar a brief few minutes half-way through. the Cats' Dave Walsh twice tested novice Underwood with fine efforts, but again it was Paul Carr who came closest.
Eighteen minutes after the restart, Carr latched onto an untypically poor headed backpass from Tony Hall - he met it on the half-volley, lobbed Stephenson, but it bounced wide. Just a minute later, Colin Delahunty set up Glen Conway for a strike on goal, which Stephenson managed to divert away.
The main incident in the match was an injury to Kilkenny's former Blues defender Tony Hall. On his first appearance at the RSC since being released, Hall picked up a heavy knock with twenty minutes to go.
Despite a few unsporting and undeserved boos - which seemed to startle him - the English defender received a terrific ovation from the Waterford fans on the way into the tunnel - a great tribute from the Suirside public who fully remember Hall's terrific contribution during the past two years.
But what could have been a more significant injury was suffered by Cats keeper Ashley Stephenson, who limped his way through the last twenty minutes. Had he been tested late in the match, the hosts might have been able to steal victory, but when Derek jordan found the side-netting from an angle with two minutes to go, the match was destined to finish the way it had began.
