Waterford fight back twice to earn point against Derry City

Waterford secured a vital 2-2 draw against Derry City at RSC, coming from behind twice to keep their play-off hopes alive with Evan McLaughlin and Padraig Amond on target.

Waterford FC earned a vital 2-2 draw against Derry City at the RSC on Monday night, coming from behind twice to keep their play-off hopes alive in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Evan McLaughlin levelled the scores before half-time after a blocked shot by Jorgen Voilas fell to him, and Padraig Amond headed home a Benny Couto corner early in the second half to cancel out Michael Duffy’s goal that had restored Derry’s lead.

Derry City took the lead through Adam O’Reilly’s 40-yard strike assisted by James Clarke in the ninth minute, with Clarke initially credited with the goal before the assist was confirmed. Stephen McMullan made several saves for Waterford, including denying Tommy Lonergan after a Patrick McClean clearance error, while Thomas Norcott kept Derry City in the game with stops from Sam Glenfield and Kevin Long efforts.

Benny Couto delivered multiple set-pieces that created chances, with Conan Noonan seeing a shot deflected behind from one free-kick and Lonergan hitting the rebound off Norcott after his initial effort was saved. Waterford were level at 1-1 at half-time thanks to McLaughlin’s goal, but fell behind again when Duffy curled the ball past McMullan following a Clarke pass.

Amond’s header from a Couto corner restored parity in the 57th minute, though Dean McMenamy’s effort cleared the crossbar and Long headed wide in stoppage time as Waterford pushed for a winner. The result leaves Waterford eighth in the Premier Division on 33 points from 30 games, with a goal difference of -9 after scoring 40 and conceding 49 this season.

The point is vital as Waterford’s cushion above the relegation play-off position narrowed due to Drogheda United’s win over Shelbourne on the same night, leaving them separated from the team above only by goal difference. Graham Coughlan’s side remain unbeaten in their last five matches with a recent form of DWDWW, including a 1-1 draw with Dundalk and a 3-0 win over Sligo Rovers.

T. Lonergan leads the team in scoring this season with nine goals in 35 appearances, and Waterford will look to build on this performance when they face league leaders Shamrock Rovers away on 2026-09-18. Kevin O’Sullivan refereed the match in front of an attendance of 1,666 at the RSC.

First reported at Irish Examiner