Sligo Rovers  1-0  Waterford United
Matthew Blinkhorn 75

Owen Morrison returned from injury to help Sligo Rovers reach the FAI Cup final for the first time in 16 years on Friday night.

 

 

Morrison came off the bench at half-time, and, after going close himself on a couple of occasions, the former Derry City man provided the perfect cross for Matthew Blinkhorn to seal the win for the home side at The Showgrounds.

 

 

It was the striker's first goal for the club since a brace against Dundalk in early August, and it lifted the packed crowd of over 4,000 fans that crammed the Sligo venue.

 

 

Waterford had started very positively and a string of top class saves from young goalkeeper Kevin Burns looked like it would be enough to earn the visitors a replay.

 

 

But Morrison and Blinkhorn combined to end the Blues' hopes after over half-an-hour of a second half that Rovers

 

 

Burns got an early confidence-booster when he did well to tip an early effort over the top. And Waterford made their presence felt with some crisp early tackling to prevent the in-form home side from settling into the game.

 

 

And the Blues were the better side, with bookings for Conor O'Grady and Danny Ventre highlighting Rovers' growing frustration.

 

 

The second half was a different affair, however, with substitutes Morrison and Richie Ryan helping to push the home side into the ascendancy.

 

 

But it was Waterford who created the first chance of the half seven minutes in. Kearney forced Ciaran Kelly into a diving save, and David Grincell crossed the rebound for strike partner Sullivan to head goalwards. Luckily for Rovers, the excellent Keane was well positioned to make the block, with Waterford shouts for handball were ignored by referee Damien Hancock.

 

 

The official booked Sulliven soon after for putting the ball into the net with his hand following a Watters corner.

 

 

But Rovers created a number of chances after that with Raffaele Cretaro finding Morrison in the area, and only a superb foot block from Burns kept the ball out.

 

 

And O'Grady saw a shot from outside the area flash the wrong side of the post after some good work by Cretaro.

 

 

But persistence paid off for Morrison on 76 minutes, when his pinpoint cross picked out Blinkhorn to head home much to the delight of the most of the crowd that numbered over 4,000.

 

 

Sligo Rovers: Kelly, Ventre (Ryan 56), Peers, Keane, Kendrick, Cash (Morrison HT), O'Grady (captain), Boco, Doyle, Blinkhorn, Cretaro.

Subs not used: Marshall, Turner, Camano, Meenan, Schlingermann.

Waterford Utd: Burns, Long, Murray, Browne (captain), Kearney, Watters (Dunphy 81), Cummins, Grant, Warren, Grincell (Woodgate 83), Sullivan.

Subs not used: Mulcahy, Fitzgerald, Carey, Byrne.

Referee: D Hancock.

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