Waterford Vs Derry City: Coughlan Opens RSC Run Against Fifth-Place Derry

Waterford vs Derry City arrives at the RSC on Friday night with Graham Coughlan taking charge of his first home game for the Blues. Waterford still need their first win of the season, while Derry City come in fifth on 19 points from 16 games.

RSC pressure on Waterford

Waterford’s latest league trip brought a 4-1 loss away to St. Patrick's Athletic last weekend, and John Mahon at least gave them a start to build on when he scored inside the opening five minutes. Benny Couto supplied the corner for Mahon’s headed goal, but Waterford could not turn that early lead into anything on the road.

Coughlan has been asking for a heavier work rate from his squad. “The players have worked their socks off this week in fairness to them,” he said. “It’s been a high-intensity week with everyone fighting for their shirt on Friday & fighting to rectify the situation that we’re in.”

Derry City after Drogheda United

Derry City also come into the game after a setback, having lost to Drogheda United last week when Ryan Brennan scored the winning second-half penalty. That was Derry’s fifth defeat of the season, a mark that leaves them with room to lose ground if they do not sharpen up quickly.

The sides already met in February, when Derry won 4-2 at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium after Waterford had gone 2-0 up through Jorgen Voilas and Tommy Lonergan. Michael Duffy’s hat-trick flipped that game, and it is the kind of detail Waterford will have in mind back at the RSC.

Glenfield absent for Derry City

Sam Glenfield will miss Friday night through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in Richmond Park last weekend. Evan McLaughlin is a doubt with a foot injury, and Finlay Armstrong remains in recovery from a quad injury sustained in pre-season.

That leaves Derry short of options as they look to protect fifth place and Waterford chase a result that would change the mood around Coughlan’s first night at home. “We have to run harder, fight harder than the opposition, cover the distance, all that dirty side of the game,” he said, before adding: “And then our quality players that we’ve got can produce those quality moments to help us win games, starting with tomorrow night against Derry.”