Tuesday Blue

This week’s Tuesday Blue is our Rolls Royce at the back - Kevin Long. While Waterford are the top scorers in the league over the past three months, it would have been wasted had it not been for the huge improvement defensively and Long is a key factor in that change.

The big centre back, who turns 36 next week, has been in magnificent form in a defence that had gone over 250 minutes without conceding until Bohemians’ consolation goal on Sunday. The Blues have three tall, powerhouse central defenders in Long (6’2”), Cann (6’2”) and Mahon (6’1”) who fight for every ball and are becoming more of a unit game by game. Their manager, Graham Coughlan, praised their relentless “desire to keep the ball out of the net” last week. Roy Keane might quip that that’s their job, but these guys really relish their work in that case.

Kevin has brought cohesion and leadership to a defence that started the season in chaos. Waterford had played eight games before the addition of the 17-times-capped Ireland international with a record of six defeats, two draws and nineteen goals conceded.

His impact was immediate as he earned TheBlues.ie Man of the Match honours on his debut in a 1-1 draw with the champions Shamrock Rovers. But since Coughlan came in and switched him to the left of the three centre backs to bring natural balance, he has been utterly outstanding and I believe his presence there has helped Benny Couto hugely. 

 

Long Hot Summer (Noel Browne)

Sunday was a case in point. While Bohs grew into the game in the second half, they rarely breached the brick wall of those defenders with Long leading the way. His vast experience is priceless and there was a three-minute section of the first half which showed him at his best. He read a pass from Jordan Flores perfectly and intercepted it before it could reach Colm Whelan. Kevin continued his run into midfield, laid the ball off sensibly, but stayed forward. When he received the ball again from Couto, he carried the ball up the left wing and drew a foul from Flores (who was fortunate not to be booked). It was a great piece of play from a centre half who probably didn’t fancy skipping down the wing with the ball anyway and the resultant free kick created a period of havoc in the Bohs box with two long throws and a corner.

When the visitors eventually lifted the siege, they had their most threatening attack to that point with Whelan dribbling inside the box and shaping to fire at goal only for a superb tackle from Long to snuff the danger out. And there was an even better tackle thirty seconds into first-half stoppage time when Dayle Rooney was about to shoot, but was stopped by the most picture-perfect of challenges from the number 13.

Waterford’s revival has owed a lot to taking advantage of attacking set-pieces and Long proves his value here also. He is the most popular target for the long throws of Will Johnson and Benny Couto, with strikers feeding off his flick-ons, and is a handful in the box for corners and free kicks too. His and Mahon’s presence prevented goalkeeper Paul Walters dealing with a long throw, which led to him punching the ball off Amond to chest in the second goal. And the keeper was so preoccupied with Long on the near post for a corner soon after that he was too late to stop Amond making it 3-0 at the back post.

If the Blues continue to move up the Premier Division, and possibly make a bonus run in the cup, then the foundations will be built on Kevin Long. His organisation and drive are invaluable and his willingness to throw his body into blocks is thoroughly heroic. The good times are back - Long may they last!