Mason Melia the man as Saints sink Blues
Mason Melia ended a wait of six games for a league goal as his first-half strike proved pivotal for St. Patrick's Athletic as they returned from Estonia to record a 2-0 win over Waterford FC in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division at the RSC on Sunday afternoon.
The Tottenham Hotspur-bound striker timed his run to perfection to finish an 18th-minute through ball from Kian Leavy to finish, and after they missed a host of chances to extend their lead, it was substitute Conor Carthy who sealed a card-ridden affair six minutes from time.
From the outside, Waterford looked hesitant in defence with Melia unlucky not to convert a Leavy delivery inside five minutes before Conan Noonan had a big chance for the hosts at the other end two minutes later, but he couldn't get a vital touch on the end of Finlay Armstrong's delivery.
It was the Inchicore side that broke the deadlock with 18 minutes on the clock when Kian Leavy picked up possession of the ball in the middle of the park before releasing Melia, who was kept onside by Ryan Burke, and the Tottenham Hotspur-bound striker fired past the helpless Stephen McMullan.
Tommy Lonergan had a penalty appeal turned down on 29 minutes when he went down under a challenge from Anto Breslin, but referee Daniel Murphy waved away appeals, before Mason Melia could have doubled the lead six minutes before the break only to fire inches wide.
Lonergan saw a looping header just clear Joseph Anang's crossbar on the stroke of half-time before the visitors started the second-half on the front foot with a big chance coming to their striker just shy of the hour-mark.
Leavy and Kavanagh linked up in the middle of the park with the latter playing Melia in between the Waterford defence, before European match-winner, Jake Mulraney saw his angled effort saved by keeper McMullan.
Second-half substitute Conor Carthy settled the game for the South Dublin outfit on 84 minutes when he peeled off his marker to get on the end of Kavanagh's teasing left-wing corner-kick to beat keeper McMullan with a left-footed finish from close-range.
WATERFORD FC: McMullan; Horton (Miles 59), Boyle (Coyle 84), Leahy, Burke; Armstrong (Dempsey 59); Rossiter (Glenfield 82), McDonald (Olayinka 59); Lonergan, Amond, Noonan.
ST. PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin (Kazeem 38); Lennon, Leavy, Kavanagh (Robinson 90), Forrester (Baggley 90), Mulraney (Carthy 75); Melia (Power 75).
Referee: Daniel Murphy (Dublin).
Attendance: 2651
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