Padraig Amond: Remarkable comeback victory sets us for the remainder of the season

LAST Friday night's game away to Bohemians was a game that for neutral must have been brilliant to watch. For the supporters of both Waterford and Bohemians it was a roller coaster of emotions right until the very end of the game. We went into the game having lost three league games in a row and we knew how big a game it was going to be. We needed to get something from the game and at half time when we were 2-0 down it wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that possibly our season was on the line in the following 45 minutes. A few home truths and choice words at half time seemed to do the trick for us and we turned the game right around to lead 3-2 going into injury time and looking very good for the three points.

The rollercoaster wasn’t done with just yet though as Bohs were awarded a 96th minute penalty and I think when it was given every person connected with Waterford FC hearts sank and feared for the worst. Thankfully Dayle Rooney, who has been excellent for Bohemians this season, hit the crossbar and missed his penalty and the referee blew it up after the resultant corner was cleared and we breathed a sigh of relief.

It was quite a funny game as even though we were 2-0 down at half time we had probably created the better chances in the first half, but we were architects of our own downfall in the first half. Two lapses of concentration in the first half from us cost us both goals and we did have a mountain to climb but we showed our character and fully deserved the victory. The second half performance from us was one of our best 45 minutes of the whole season and now it gives us great hope and belief going forward as we enter the final nine games of the league campaign. It was a huge result too as our next league game isn’t for another ten days because of the FAI Cup and if we had lost, we would have been cursing our luck looking at the league table for two weeks without a chance to rectify it that would have hurt us had we conceded the late equaliser.

The race for third place is well and truly on at the moment and after the weekends results (Sligo Rovers beating Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Galway United both dropping points at home) it just shows how huge those three points could potentially be for us. Throughout successful campaigns there are always moments in the season where you can pinpoint and say that was a huge night for us and hopefully, we are looking back in November at the Bohemians game in Dalymount and referencing coming back from 2-0 down at half time, and also the missed penalty.

Before we get back to league action we have the little matter of a last 16 tie in the FAI Cup at home to Athlone Town on Friday night at the RSC. The FAI Cup is a great opportunity for us to have another route at qualifying for Europe next season and we will do everything we can to get out name in the hat for the quarter finals. In the last 16 there are some very juicy match ups and some all Premier Division clashes so the competition could open right up for a couple of teams depend on the results of those games this weekend. We just need to concentrate on ourselves though and make sure that we do our job first and foremost before we worry about other results and possible draws. Athlone are having an excellent season in the First Division this year. They sit in second place in the table behind runaway leaders Cork City (who have just splashed the cash in the last two weeks to bring Irish international Seanie Maguire and last season’s Premier Division top scorer Ruari Keating back to Cork) and they will be hoping the can stay there to give themselves the best chance possible of being promoted through the promotion/relegation play-off at the end of the season. They have some very talented players who can make the step up to the Premier Division next season and Athlone will be hoping it will be with them rather than a different side. The manager Dario Castelo deserves a lot of praise for the work that he has done at the club since he has taken charge, and they are building something there very nicely. It would be great to see them make the breakthrough to the Premier Division but hopefully their involvement in the FAI Cup will come to an end on Friday night at the RSC.