Waterford are on a rich run of form, with three wins on the bounce following Keith Long’s departure on April 19th. They welcome Galway United to the RSC on Friday, who have one win in their last five.
Following a reasonable beginning to the season, Waterford lost six games in a row, which led to a change in the dugout.
Since Long’s departure, ‘The Blues’ have been under the stewardship of Fleetwood Town first-team coach Matt Lawlor, who was parachuted in to manage the team on an interim basis.
Lawlor’s first game was a loss to Cork City, but he immediately responded to that defeat with three major scalps against Derry City, Bohemians and defending champions Shelbourne.
Galway United did not face defeat in the first two months of the campaign, but have now suffered four defeats in their last seven.
Waterford Begin New Era In Excellent Form
Keith Long’s fate was sealed following a 4-0 defeat to basement side Sligo Rovers at home.
This result left the perception of Waterford damaged, with all the signs pointing towards the club battling to preserve their place in the Premier Division.
However, interim-boss Matt Lawlor was able to put Waterford right back into the conversation for a fight at the top end of the table.
With the League of Ireland becoming much more competitive and the top eight in the division covered by six points, it is not unreasonable to say The Blues are back in the title picture following victories against free-spending Derry City and Damian Duff’s Shelbourne.
Under Lawlor’s brief tenure, they have shown their ability to hold on when under pressure. A prominent example is from Monday’s victory in Tolka Park.
Following Padraig Amond’s early strike in the third minute, Shels had 76% of possession and 27 shots but were unable to capitalise on their dominance.
The Blues have appointed EFL veteran John Coleman to replace Lawlor on a full-time basis. The Englishman famously managed Accrington Stanley for over 1,000 games.
He is no stranger to the League of Ireland either, having had a brief spell in charge of Sligo Rovers in 2014.
Speaking to club media, Coleman commented that the division has “vibrancy” at the moment:
“Although it will be a big challenge there is clearly a huge desire to be successful at this football club and to progress up this division.
“I’m relishing the opportunity to get started to build on the great work that has been done here in recent years.”
Galway United’s tricky few weeks
Galway United have been an impressive project to watch since their promotion back to the Premier Division in 2023. Under John Caulfield and Ollie Horgan, they find themselves four points off the table-toppers, Drogheda United.
However, they have suffered a poor run of form recently. The last time a player not called Moses Dyer scored for Galway was on April 18th in a 3-2 defeat to Derry City at home.
They have become reliant on the New Zealand-born striker, who is the top scorer in the division with eight goals.
Their result against Bohemians on Monday will not be inspiring either, as they lost to a 97th-minute goal from defender Sean Grehan after being ahead during the game.
As was shown by Waterford’s past three opponents, dominance of the ball and chances will not be enough for Galway United to walk away with the three points.
Waterford FC vs Galway United Prediction
United won the reverse fixture 1-0 thanks to a late Vincent Borden winner, and the indications are that it will be a low-scoring game for this tie.
Waterford will be looking to keep up their good form and impress their new boss, who will offer some new motivation.
If the Tribesmen continue to remain reliant on one player like they have done in recent games, they will eventually slide down the table due to the competitive nature of the top-flight.
Thier opponents have shown they do not need many chances to punish teams, especially with the quality and experience of a player like Padraig Amond in attack.
A scoreless draw seems likely here, but if there were to be a winner, the home side look better placed for three points.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility, however unlikely, that if Coleman can inspire Waterford to remain on their current run of form that they could be in the title picture.
Victory over Galway United will bring them closer with the top two set to meet at Tallaght Stadium.