Fit For Purpose - Waterford 3 Kerry 2

Jon Daly’s Blues continued their strong preseason preparations with a 3-2 win over Kerry on the Connors Park AstroTurf today with goals from Tommy Lonergan, Conor Carty and Evan McLaughlin. They played fast, attacking football and were in more control than the final scoreline might suggest. Perhaps the most heartening thing was their physical condition. Having committed themselves to training since the 10th of December, the team look noticeably fitter at this point in the process than in previous years. This looks like a team and squad (with a few small tweaks) that is ready to give fans full value for ninety minutes each week this season.

Waterford lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the attacking positions being reasonably fluid. Under-20s defender Alan Zborowski played right back with Benny Couto left and a centre back pairing of Hayden Cann and Ronan Mansfield. McLaughlin and Luke Heeney were at the base of midfield with Evan on the right of centre, allowing him to come inside on his favoured left foot. Strikers Lonergan and Carty played on the flanks with Conan Noonan in a ‘number ten’ role behind captain Pádraig Amond. This eleven remained unchanged for most of an hour before the game was broken up with the usual preseason avalanche of substitutions. 

Absent from the squad were John Mahon, Finlay Armstrong, Trae Coyle, Sam Glenfield and Dean McMenamy. I saw Glenfield and Armstrong there, but the others may have been around too. Aside from Mahon, the other four haven’t taken part in any of the preseason games to date so it puts them at a growing disadvantage with the league opener just over two weeks away. It will be difficult for them to earn their places in the team if they’ve had limited opportunities to impress the new manager.

 

 

The Blues dominated the first half and created several good chances before and after Lonergan’s tenth-minute opening goal. Amond surged down the right channel for that one and, when the cross evaded Noonan, it was Tommy LonerGoal with another clinical finish. Kerry’s equaliser came very much against the run of play when Cian Murphy finished coolly from the penalty spot after twenty minutes. 18-year-old Zborowski was caught out by the quick feet of the Kerry winger and tapped his ankle enough for it to be a foul. All part of the learning experience for the promising ex-Southend United schoolboy who has had a very positive preseason. 

It looked set to be a tied scoreline at the break, but winter addition Conor Carty buried a powerful diving header to restore the Blues’ lead. It came from a peach of a delivery from the left by Noonan and you could tell it was going to be a goal as soon as Carty shaped to attack the ball. The front four all contributed handsomely to an impressive attacking display in the first half. The link-up play between Amond, Noonan and Lonergan stood out as they all fed off each other’s work. Keeping that trio (one of the best in the league) together has been the club’s greatest achievement this off-season and it’s exciting to imagine what Year Two will bring for them.

Leadership was another thing that was evident today. Podge was the foreman of the forward line as he barked out instructions to his teammates about pressing and positioning. He even had plenty of guidance for the referee and linesman. At the back, Hayden Cann was very commanding while Ronan Mansfield was notably vocal in the latter part of the game. Cann showed off his physical strength and looked to spray diagonal balls forward into the channels regularly. 

 

 

Evan McLaughlin was the standout player on the day and he will be key for Waterford this season. Kerry, who started the second period on the front foot, equalised through Sean McGrath in the 56th minute and it was a sloppy goal which will certainly be addressed by the coaching team in training. It was quickly forgotten, though, when McLaughlin made it 3-2 with a stunning left-footed strike across goal just a minute later. There’s leadership in that too – seizing the game at just the right moment. His range of passing, energy and ball-carrying are all impressive and he should add a creative outlet from midfield that was lacking too often last season. Indeed, he finished the game ‘in the hole’ after Noonan departed, showing his versatility too. 

The final half hour, as in most friendly matches, was unsettled with countless changes so it was harder to make any fair judgement on players. Today’s new signing, Jorgen Voilas, finished the game as the lead striker, but whipped in one excellent low cross from the left. I couldn’t really comment on either of the triallists other than to confirm they were the same as had played against Cork last week. 

Kerry are much-improved and will be challenging near the top of the First Division next season. They looked like the team who knocked Sligo out of the cup last year and gave Shamrock Rovers a rattle in the semi-final. Colin Healy and David Meyler have them well-drilled and new full-time signings such as Waterford’s former captain Kilian Cantwell and the robust Vinny Borden from Galway United made them a very good test for the Premier Division Blues today.

Starting eleven: Arlo Doherty; Alan Zborowski, Hayden Cann, Ronan Mansfield, Benny Couto; Evan McLaughlin, Luke Heeney; Tommy Lonergan, Conan Noonan, Conor Carty; Pádraig Amond.
Substitutes used: Seán Keane, Jesse Dempsey, Jorgen Voilas, Jordan Faria, Muhammad Oladiti, Adam Coyne and two triallists.