Captain Phillips heads Waterford past Cobh Ramblers and into play-off with Cork City

SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division play-off final

Waterford 2 (Coughlan 47, Phillips 101) Cobh Ramblers 1 (McKevitt 88)

Captain Giles Phillips headed Waterford into a promotion/relegation play-off final against Cork City after beating Cobh Ramblers in extra-time.

An overhead kick by super-sub Matthew McKevitt had levelled the game with just two minutes remaining after Ronan Coughlan’s 36th goal of the season looked to have sent the Blues on their way.

But Phillips’ 101st-minute winner from a Shane Griffin corner saw Waterford earn their third consecutive appearance in the play-off decider, having lost narrowly to UCD the previous two years.

Both sides made one change for the game played out in front of 2,626 fans at Turner’s Cross. Few were surprised to see Waterford’s 17-year-old hat-trick hero Romeo Akachukwu in from the start, while Justin Eguaibor stepped into Ramblers’ back-three.

The Blues finished 10 points ahead of Ramblers in the First Division and they had the upper hand from the off. They were able to find space behind Cobh’s wing-backs and had the first five shots at goal, although none put Lee Steacy to work between the sticks.

Coughlan worked an opening with a one-two but his effort was blocked by Brendan Frahill. Roland Idowu flashed a shot wide and then Coughlan caused more trouble when spinning his man but Connor Parsons couldn’t connect under pressure at the far post.

Phillips was frustrated to see his header blocked from a corner before Akachukwu nodded over with their next chance.

A cheap free-kick conceded by Phillips for an off-the-ball foul on Wilson Waweru gave the Rams their best chance. Mikie Rowe’s cross was met by Frahill but his header drifted just wide.

Waterford had one more opening