Waterford 3-0 Sligo Rovers

Sligo Rovers were dumped out of the Club Orange FAI Cup at the quarter-final stage by a rampant Waterford at the RSC on Friday night.

Despite being the better team in the first-half, Darren Purse’s charges were trailing at the break as Padraig Amond fired the hosts ahead.

And they added two more after the break to inflict more misery on a Rovers side whose focus now turns soley to their relegation battle.

With Waterford’s league form improving drastically since the arrival of manager Graham Coughlan, the home side would have been heavy favourites to win.

The Blues came into Friday’s game in incredible form, having not lost a game since June 19.

And the Bit O’Red will have been hopeful that league form does indeed go out the window for the cup, but Darren Purse had to make do with a depleted squad yet again for Friday’s cup tie.

Cian Kavanagh, Jeannot Esua and Ryan O’Kane were not in the squad, joining long-term absentees Conor Reynolds, Daire Patton, Kevin Zefi and Jad Hakiki in the treatment room.

Rovers’ league struggles have been well documented, as the Bit O’Red are without a win in the league since May 22.

The league’s bottom side were by far the better team in the opening half, but crucially didn’t take their chances when they came.

After a bright start for the visitors, Waterford went ahead against the run of play after eight minutes when Amond pounced after a brilliant save from Sam Sargeant from close range.

But the visitors were well in control of possession, and had the Blues under pressure for periods of the opening half.

Luke Pearce should have equalised on 14 minutes after a mistake at the back, and with just Stephen McMullan in the Waterford goals to beat, the former Cardiff striker just paused for a split second, allowing the former Warrenpoint goalkeeper to grab a hold of the ball.

A brilliant cross from Trey George across the face of goal just needed a touch, but Luke Pearce was shut out by the Waterford defence.

But Waterford, who were struggling to hold onto the ball in the opening half, easily could have doubled their lead through Amond just before half-time.

But Carl McHugh was well placed to head it off the line.

The second-half was following the same pattern, and again Graham Coughlan’s side were celebrating early on.

Tommy Lonergan doubled the advantage with a fine finish from Jorgen Voilas’ ball in, before an Ollie Denham own goal made it 3-0 to the hosts on the hour mark when the former Cardiff City defender turned the ball into his own net as he tried to block Amond’s shot.

Waterford FC: S McMullan, J Mahon, H Cann (G Amedu, 88), K Long, B Couto (J Ashton, 88), J Voilas, E McLaughlin (D McMenamy, 71), C Noonan, N Mawene (L Heeney, 84), P Amond (A Brennan, 84), T Lonergan.

Sligo Rovers: S Sargeant, O Denham, G McElroy, S Stewart (C Cannon, 83), T George (A Nolan, 64), J McManus, S Quirk, C McHugh (L Young, 64), J Shorrock, A Meekison (K Woolery, 75), L Pearce (J O’Donnell, 83).

Referee: R Hennessy.