Waterford FC Advances to Cup Semi-Finals with 3-0 Victory
Waterford FC needed just one half of ruthless football to brush Sligo Rovers aside and book their place in the Club Orange FAI Men's Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2022, cruising to a 3-0 win at the RSC.
It was not slick or sparkling early on. It did not need to be. What Graham Coughlan’s side did have was an early goal, a solid spine and, after the interval, a ruthless edge that Sligo simply could not live with.
Amond settles the nerves
The breakthrough came after only eight minutes and it was classic penalty-box poaching from Pádraig Amond.
Conan Noonan hooked a ball towards the back post, Tommy Lonergan climbed well and headed across goal for Amond. His first header drew a sharp save from Sam Sargeant, but Waterford kept the move alive. When the loose ball broke to Evan McLaughlin, he slipped a clever pass back into Amond’s path and the veteran forward drilled a right-footed finish from close range.
The RSC relaxed. Waterford did not.
They almost undid their own good work five minutes later. Benny Couto played a loose pass straight to Luke Pearce and suddenly the Sligo striker was racing clear. One-on-one, he looked certain to level, but Stephen McMullan spread himself brilliantly to block at his feet, a huge moment in the tie.
Waterford threatened again when McLaughlin lashed over from the edge of the area, but the half gradually tilted towards Sligo in terms of possession. John Russell’s side began to stitch passes together and, in the 39th minute, they carved out their best opening of the half. Seb Quirk took a pass from Gareth McElroy and whipped a teasing cross into the six-yard box, only for Archie Meekison to miss it completely.
Just before the break, Sligo captain Carl McHugh produced a crucial intervention of his own. Jorgen Voilas slid Amond through, 16 yards from goal, and the striker thumped a fierce effort past Sargeant, only to see McHugh retreat and head off the line. Waterford went in ahead, but not out of sight.
That changed quickly.
Blues step on the gas
Five minutes into the second half, Waterford found the gear they had been searching for.
Couto released Noonan down the left and the winger took his time, lifting a measured cross to the back post. Voilas rose, nodded the ball down into a crowded area and Lonergan pounced, smashing a crisp right-footed shot beyond Sargeant from 10 yards. Simple move, clinical finish. The tie suddenly felt very different.
The pressure finally told again on 59 minutes and this time Sligo did the damage to themselves.
Noah Mawene fed McLaughlin on the left flank and the winger delivered a vicious ball across the face of goal. It begged for a touch from anyone in blue; instead it came off defender Ollie Denham, who could only turn it into his own net as he tried to clear. Waterford had their third, and their second-half dominance fully merited it.
Sargeant kept the scoreline respectable. Three minutes after the own goal, Couto laid the ball back to McLaughlin on the edge of the box and the winger hammered a left-footed drive towards the top corner. Sargeant reacted superbly, springing to tip over.
Sligo’s threat was sporadic by now. Their best chance to at least put a dent in the scoreline arrived on 71 minutes when substitute Alex Nolan cut across a left-footed strike that skidded just wide of McMullan’s left-hand post. It summed up their afternoon: nearly, not quite.
With the game long since under control, Coughlan turned to his bench in the closing stages, withdrawing key figures such as Amond, Lonergan and Mawene to the applause of a home crowd already thinking about the last four.
Waterford had done the hard work early, then finished the job with authority. The semi-finals await.
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.
