Waterford FC came crashing back down to earth with a bang as former player Colm Whelan came back to haunt his old club with a first-half hat-trick as Bohemian FC ended a three-game loss with a dominant display in their SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division battle at the RSC.
It was a first win for Bohs boss Alan Reynolds over his hometown club since he became manager of the Gypsies last year as Whelan netted twice from the penalty spot in the opening half after opening the score with a sweet strike on 15 minutes.
In a tentative opening, it was the visitors that struck for the opener through a former Blue on 15 minutes.
Navajo Bakboord was caught in possession by Niall Morahan who saw the ball break to Whelan, who raced clear to beat Stephen McMullan with a crisp right-footed shot from the top of the penalty area.
It took a superb goal line clearance to deny the hosts an equalising goal on the half-hour mark when Darragh Leahy got space down the left before crossing for Padraig Amond, but his goalbound effort was cleared off the line by Morahan.
Bohs doubled their lead from the penalty spot on 34 minutes when a silly challenge from Kyle White, who was the hero against Cork City in the derby, clipped Dawson Devoy in the area, and although McMullan guessed the right way, Whelan’s effort was planted in the right-hand corner.
Referee Rob Harvey was pointing to the spot once again for the visitors four minutes later when Liam Smith sent over a right-wing cross that saw Kacper Radkowski clear out Dayle Rooney, and it was Whelan, who completed his hat-trick with considerable ease past a helpless McMullan.
Waterford battled hard in a bid to get on the scoresheet in the second-half with the best two chances falling to substitute James Olayinka, but he couldn’t find a way past keeper James Talbot, who made two decent saves in the final ten minutes.
Waterford FC: McMullan; Bakboord, Radkowski, Boyle, Leahy, White (Burke 46); McDonald (Glenfield 46), McMenamy (McCormack 73), Noonan (Olayinka 60); Lonergan (Pouwels 60), Amond.
Bohemians: Talbot, Morahan, Smith, Grehan; Rooney, Devoy, McDonnell (McManus 86), Buckley (Mountney 65), Flores (Kavanagh 86); Clarke (Tierney 65), Whelan (Parsons 73).
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
Attendance: 3218
