Waterford defeated Shelbourne 1-0 in the Premier Division Regular Season - 26 fixture on August 2, 2026. The match took place at 14:00 UTC and produced a narrow victory for the home side. T. Lonergan scored the decisive goal in the 48th minute, assisted by P. Amond.
Shelbourne's A. Coote received the first yellow card in the 4th minute. Waterford's J. Houston was booked in the 43rd minute before Lonergan's goal. J. Henry-Francis collected a yellow card for Shelbourne in the 55th minute.
Waterford had a significant chance to extend their lead when T. Lonergan missed a penalty in the 56th minute. The match saw several substitutions throughout the second half. Waterford brought on W. Johnson in the 51st minute, followed by E. McLaughlin in the 83rd and C. Noonan in the 84th. Shelbourne made three changes: E. Caffrey in the 71st and A. Coote in the 80th.
Shelbourne controlled possession with 65 percent compared to Waterford's 35 percent. The visitors completed 446 passes while Waterford managed 234. Shelbourne had more shots off target (6) and on target (1), while Waterford recorded 7 shots off target and 5 on target.
Waterford created 2 chances compared to Shelbourne's 1, despite the possession disparity. Shelbourne made significantly more clearances (48) and had more blocked shots (8). Waterford's goalkeeper made only 1 save while Shelbourne's keeper had 4 saves.
The result gives Waterford a victory with a goal difference of +1 from this match. Shelbourne's dominance in possession and passing did not translate into goals. The three points move Waterford forward in the standings.