Footage has emerged allegedly showing Waterford's Norwegian goalscorer Jorgen Voilas being struck by a St Patrick's Athletic fan following the Blues' 2-0 away victory on Friday night. The incident, reported by the Irish Mirror, allegedly occurred in the 90th minute at Richmond Park after Voilas had bundled into an advertising hoarding following a challenge.
What does the footage show?
The video appears to show Jorgen Voilas being pushed into a perimeter advertising board by a St Patrick's Athletic player in the closing moments of the match. As the Norwegian forward regains his footing near the touchline, a supporter is then seen reaching over and making contact with Voilas's chin. A steward quickly moved to intervene between the player and the home supporters. Referee Paul McLaughlin was officiating the game, but it remains unclear what he witnessed or included in his match report.
Waterford manager Graham Coughlan stated he had not seen the incident himself. "I genuinely don't know. I’ve not seen it," Coughlan said. "Somebody did say it. But Jorgen has not come in complaining or anything like that." When pressed for details, he added, "I don't know, I think you’d have to ask Jorgen or you’d have to ask somebody inside, I don’t know what’s gone on."
Why was St Patrick's Athletic already under scrutiny?
The alleged incident comes just days after St Patrick's Athletic issued a warning to its own fans regarding disciplinary action. This followed a series of events during an FAI Cup fixture against Shamrock Rovers on Sunday, 16 August, also held at Richmond Park. The club received a substantial fine from the league for multiple breaches, including the use of pyrotechnics, throwing of missiles, pitch encroachment, and poor spectator conduct. Specific incidents involved individuals entering the field of play and confronting opposition players.
As a further punishment, the Saints were handed a suspended one-match partial stadium closure for the remainder of the 2026 season. This suspension applies specifically to Section G of Richmond Park. A further incident of misconduct could now trigger the closure of that section for a future home match.
How does this fit into Waterford's strong form?
The off-field controversy overshadows what was another excellent result for Graham Coughlan's side. The 2-0 win at Richmond Park, with Voilas on the scoresheet, extends Waterford's impressive recent form. They are now unbeaten in their last five League of Ireland Premier Division matches, recording four wins and one draw. Their last result was the 2-0 victory over St Patrick's Athletic on 28 August 2026.
This run has provided a positive platform ahead of the new season, building on a 2025 campaign where Waterford finished 9th with 39 points. You can track their progress and compare stats on our standings and stats pages. The team scored 41 goals last season but conceded 60, finishing with a -19 goal difference and 27 points behind champions Shamrock Rovers.
What comes next for Waterford?
Attention now turns to maintaining this momentum on the pitch. Waterford's next challenge is a home fixture against Sligo Rovers, who are currently 7th in the table, on 4 September 2026. The focus will be on continuing their unbeaten streak and preparing for the new campaign, with the full schedule available on our fixtures page. Any potential disciplinary fallout from the Richmond Park incident will be a matter for the Football Association of Ireland to investigate, while the Blues concentrate on their football.
