In four meetings with the Hoops this season, Jimmy McGeough’s Blues have failed to lose and Sullivan’s fifth of the season sees them mid-table bound into their final two games.
U21 goalkeeper Shane Davern started in goals for the home side and he almost gave Rovers’ boss Liam Buckley a scare as he twisted his leg in an effort to save a first half shot from Waterford’s Daryl Murphy. He recovered, and in a very open game, Rovers took the lead on eleven minutes through young striker Glen Fitzpatrick. He was fed in from a Shane Robinson pass, and hit a crisp left-footed shot beyond Dan Connor’s dive.
Rovers could have taken the lead through Trevor Molloy with their first chance of the game, but the former underage international’s 20-yard shot rose over the United bar.
Disaster seemed to strike for the Dubliners one minute into the second-half, as Trevor Croly was red-carded for the second time this season against Waterford having been dismissed against them in late September, for a second yellow card. His lunge on Kevin Waters deservedly saw him walk and from then on, the game swung in Waterford’s favour.
Derek Tracey played well throughout, starting in place of Samir Boughanem for the Hoops, but he could do nothing in the final minutes of the game, as a corner from top scorer and substitute Alan Reilly was half cleared and the loose ball fell to Sullivan who half volleyed home from just inside the penalty area.