Ollie Horgan made a man of teenager Tunmise Sobowale when winning promotion at Finn Harps four years ago. The Waterford right-back now knows what it takes to get out of the First Division.
While Cork City are close to clinching the second tier title and automatic promotion, Danny Searle’s bang-in-form Blues will harbour a quiet confidence that they can get up via the play-offs.
And having knocked out holders St Pat’s and Dundalk, it’s going to be a frantic finish for Waterford as they also host Shelbourne in the last four of the FAI Cup.
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Getting promoted ahead of a trip to the Aviva for the cup final would mark some end of season for the RSC outfit, beaten just once in their last nine games.
“Promotion is the end goal for us,” said 23-year-old Sobowale. “While the cup is another story, we want to be in the Premier Division next year. We’re more than good enough to be there.
“We’ve taken it game by game. Whether it’s St Pat’s or Dundalk, we just want to keep on winning and keep that mentality in the group.” One of the pre-season title favourites, Waterford started well under Ian Morris (inset), topping the table after four games.
But they hit the buffers when losing four of their next six, including defeats to their main promotion rivals Cork and Galway United, which cost Morris his job.
Interim gaffers Gary Hunt and David Breen oversaw a rally of six straight wins before the arrival of new boss Searle in June.
“We’re a relatively new group with an average age of around 23,” said defender Sobowale of their blip. “Gary and Breener had a lot of trust in us and didn’t put too much pressure on us and I think that made a big difference.
“Everything then clicked which built confidence and we’ve carried that into the cup, beating two top four Premier Division teams.”
Having not been a first choice under Morris, Nigerian-born Ireland underage international Sobowale is now very much a mainstay in the team. He added: “I trained hard and waited for the opportunity to play. Luckily, I got in and kept my position.
“When Danny came in he brought the level up again with his professionalism and experience in England.
“I felt we were already a solid team and he came in and sharpened it.
“It takes men to get out of the First Division. I remember Ollie saying that at Harps.
“Especially at this time of the season. It’s about who wants it more and who’s going to do that extra bit and be a man. Go to a place deep within to push yourself.
“I thought he made a man out of me because I was 19 at the time. It woke me up to men’s football. That’s helping me now.”
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