Finn Harps will have Waterford breathing down their necks after a 4-1 loss at the RSC.
The Blues move to within a point of Harps in the Premier Division thanks to goals from Patterson, a brace from Junior Quintirna, and John Martin.
Harps had a chance to get back into the game at 2-0 when Brian Murphy was sent off for striking Kosovar Sadiki in the face, with Graham Kelly sending the experienced keeper off and awarding a penalty which was scored by Tunde Owolabi with 15 minutes to go.
Ollie Horgan’s men piled on the pressure but were twice picked off in added time.
Harps had the first real chance of the game after 6 minutes when Adam Foley played in Owolabi. The strikers shot was deflected by a Waterford defender but Murphy tipped it over the bar.
Waterford’s Phoenix Patterson had a shot blocked minutes later but he made his next chance count after 19 minutes.
Junior Quintirna crossed from the left and Ryan Rainey’s clearance fell to Patterson who struck the ball low and hard from outside the box past Gerard Doherty and into the bottom corner.
Patterson, who scored his 4th goal in 4 games, again had the next chance of the game but his free-kick didn’t trouble Doherty and went over the bar.
Doherty however had to be replaced with a suspected groin injury by Mark Anthony McGinley on 34 minutes.
Johnny Dunleavy replaced Dan Hawkins at half-time.
Harps again started the half brightly and again it was Owolabi who came close but his left footed shot just went wide of the top corner.
Disaster struck for Harps on the 69th minute when a through ball seemingly was going straight to McGinley, but an error from the substitute keeper allowed the ball to go through to Junior who slotted the ball into the empty net.
Just 3 minutes later, Harps were given a lifeline as Sadiki attempted to stop a quick break and Brian Murphy pushed his hand towards the Canadian’s face, with the referee sending The Blues keeper off and awarding a penalty to Finn Harps as Owolabi stepped up to the spot.
Substitute keeper Matthew Connor went the right way and saved it but it took a fortunate bounce into the net to make it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go.
As Harps tried to find an equaliser with 7 minutes added, they were caught on the counter attack by Junior who squared the ball to Martin, putting the result out of reach in the 93rd minute.
To add insult to injury, Junior again was at the heart of a Waterford counter and struck to make it 4-1 in the 95th minute.
Finn Harps: Gerard Doherty (Mark Anthony McGinley, 34); David Webster, Kosovar Sadiki, Shane McEleney, Jordan Mustoe; Ryan Rainey, Mark Coyle,(Luke Rudden, 89) Dan Hawkins(Johnny Dunleavy, 46), Karl O’Sullivan(Mark Timlin, 75); Adam Foley, Tunde Owolabi.
Waterford FC: Brian Murphy; Greg Halford, Kyle Ferguson, Jack Stafford, Eddie Nolan, Anthony Wordsworth, Niall O’Keeffe, Phoenix Patterson, Shane Griffin(Jack Connor, 74); Junior Quintirna; John Martin.
