Waterford FC Secures Spot in FAI Cup Semi-Finals with Second-Half Surge
Waterford FC are back in the last four of the Club Orange FAI Men’s Cup for the first time since 2022 – and they got there with a second-half display that simply blew Sligo Rovers away at the RSC.
It wasn’t slick or sparkling early on. It didn’t need to be.
What Graham Coughlan’s side did was take control when it mattered, build on Pádraig Amond’s early strike and then rip the tie away from Sligo after the break with goals from Tommy Lonergan and an Ollie Denham own goal in a commanding 3-0 win.
Amond settles the nerves
Waterford struck before the contest had time to settle. Eight minutes in, Conan Noonan hooked a clever ball to the back post, where Lonergan rose to nod it back across goal for Amond.
Sam Sargeant denied the first header, blocking from close range, but Sligo never cleared their lines. The loose ball dropped to Evan McLaughlin, who slid a neat pass back into Amond’s path.
This time the veteran forward didn’t blink. A composed right-footed finish from close range, and the home crowd could breathe.
That should have laid the platform for a comfortable half. Instead, Waterford almost undid their good work five minutes later. Benny Couto’s loose pass rolled straight to Luke Pearce, who suddenly had the pitch in front of him. The Sligo striker burst clear, but Stephen McMullan stood tall and smothered at his feet – a huge save at a delicate moment.
Waterford still carved out chances. McLaughlin lashed over from the edge of the box, but the flow of the game shifted as Sligo began to see more of the ball.
On 39 minutes, they produced their best move of the half. Seb Quirk took a pass from Gareth McElroy and swung in a teasing cross from the right. Archie Meekison attacked it but couldn’t get the touch that would have silenced the RSC.
Just before the interval, Waterford almost landed a second. Jorgen Voilas slipped Amond in 16 yards from goal and the striker hammered a fierce effort towards the top corner. Sligo captain Carl McHugh read it brilliantly, retreating to nod off the line and keep his side alive at the break.
Blues seize control after the restart
Whatever Coughlan said at half-time, it worked. Waterford came out with a different edge, sharper in every duel, quicker in their movement. The pressure finally told five minutes into the second period.
Couto released Noonan down the left and the winger had time to pick his spot. His cross to the far post found Voilas, who cushioned a header back into the danger area. Lonergan arrived right on cue, drilling a crisp right-footed shot past Sargeant from 10 yards. Clinical. 2-0. Sligo were suddenly staring at the exit.
Waterford sensed it and went for the kill.
On 59 minutes, they got their reward. Noah Mawene slipped McLaughlin away down the left and the winger whipped a wicked ball across the face of goal. Denham, facing his own net and under pressure, could only turn it past Sargeant. An own goal, but born from relentless attacking intent.
At 3-0, the tie felt done, but Waterford kept coming. Three minutes later, Couto laid the ball off to McLaughlin on the edge of the box. The winger unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that seemed destined for the top corner until Sargeant produced a superb fingertip save to push it over.
Sligo tried to muster a response. Their best opening came on 71 minutes when substitute Alex Nolan cut inside and drove a left-footed shot inches wide of McMullan’s left-hand post. It summed up their night: half-chances, nearly moments, nothing to truly trouble a Waterford side that had already tightened its grip.
By the time Coughlan began to empty his bench in the closing stages, the job was done. The RSC relaxed, the tempo dipped, and Waterford simply managed the clock, their semi-final place long since secured.
A first last-four appearance since 2022 is now on the books. The performance after the interval suggested they may not be finished with this cup run yet.
