MIDFIELDER Vince Borden’s 80th-minute header was enough to give Galway United the points — and deny Waterford top spot.
The visitors would have hit the summit had they won and fellow high-fliers Drogheda failed to beat Shamrock Rovers.
But the first half was devoid of chances for either side here.
John Caulfield’s hosts did have a penalty appeal when Moses Dyer went down in the box in the 16th minute — but ref Paul McLaughlin waved play on.
Despite the lack of goalmouth action, United were playing the better football. But Blues hitman Pádraig Amond went close with a free-kick at the start of the second half.
At the other end, midfielder Jimmy Keohane showed great skill to make room for a shot but defender Grant Horton cleared the danger.
The game came to life in the last quarter, with the Tribe’s Bobby Burns firing in a couple of dangerous crosses towards the opposition’s penalty area.
Waterford then came close when veteran striker Amond narrowly missed connecting with a Conor Noonan cross.
Moments later, the vistors’ captain almost had the ball in the wrong net when a long free-kick hit his thigh. The rebound would have crossed the line had he not quickly scrambled it behind for a corner.
It was from that corner, however, that Borden rose to nod home the eventual winner with ten minutes remaining.
SUN STAR MAN
Moses Dyer (Galway United)
GALWAY UNITED: Watts 7; Esua 7, Slevin 7, Brouder 8, Cunningham 7, Burns 7 (Donelon 77, 5); Keohane 7 (Borden 59, 7), Hickey 8, Byrne 7; Dyer 8, Walsh 6 (Hurley 59, 6).
WATERFORD: McMullan 6; Bakboord 7. Horton 8, Radkowski 7, Leahy 6, Burke 7; Olayinka 7 (Glenfield 84, 5), McMenamy 7, Noonan 7; Pouwels 6, Amond 7.
REFEREE: P McLaughlin (Monaghan) 6.
