Waterford United 0 - 0 Cobh Ramblers

Cobh Ramblers held Waterford United to a scoreless draw at the RSC on Friday night to earn a deserved point, despite losing centre back Brian Fitzgerald to a red card shortly after the half hour mark.

Paul O’Brien made two changes from the Waterford side that beat Salthill Devon last weekend with Kevin O’Connor and Jack Doherty coming into the line-up, but there was little to cheer for the home fans in an opening half that was bereft of ant real creativity and severely lacked goal mouth incident.

Cobh, with two draws from their three away games in the league, would have been the happier of the two after a scoreless  opening 45 minutes in which they often looked the more innovative side but ended up with only ten men after centre back Brian Fitzgerald was sent off on 33 minutes.

Gavin Kavanagh got his head to Waterford corner on eight minutes but Martin Deady cleared and it was Deady who was the brick wall that marked the end of most of Waterford’s attacks in the opening half. While anything that the Blues did manage to get into the centre was easily dealt with by Cobh’s centre backs.

Cobh looked relatively sharp when they managed to get the ball forward with young striker Kynan Rocks working hard against some meaty defending while Conor Meade looked composed in possession without ever managing to threaten Craig Hyland’s goal.

The only incident of real note was Fitzgerald’s sending off and the reason for that was a mystery to most present. With play proceeding on the far side, assistant Shane Dunphy flagged furiously having presumably spotted an off the ball incident. After a quick consultation, referee Kevin O’Regan sought out Fitzgerald and produced the red.

The second half started in a similarly unthreatening tone, Paul O’Brien introducing Paul Quilty for Jack Doherty in an attempt to inject some new energy into the home side’s game plan. But it was the away team that almost broke the deadlock on 59 minutes.

Conor Meade hooked the ball over the Waterford back-line for Kynan Rocks to run onto and he beat out-rushing ‘keeper Craig Hyland to toe-poke the ball goalwards. Bobbi Donoghue chased it in and flicked the ball towards the empty net only for Gavin Kavanagh to get back and clear.

At the other end Paul Quilty’s energy down the flank was starting to create some openings and Cobh were fortunate that no-one in a blue shirt was there to finish his dangerous cross on 62 minutes. Six minutes later he provided another ball into the area that found Darragh Walshe. He took the ball on his chest but Frahill got a foot in to clear as far as Peter White and the midfielder’s crisply hit shot forced a good save from Birdsall.

Waterford had their best spell over the final ten minutes but failed to break down Cobh’s defence despite concerted pressure. In fact, Ramblers almost stole the points when Davin O’Neill shot straight at Hyland from six yards after getting on the end of Jonathan Spillane’s low cross.

Gavin Kavanagh glanced a header inches wide in the dying seconds but it finished scoreless to provide Cobh with a hard earned but deserved point.

Waterford United: Craig Hyland; Dylan Mernagh, Gavin Kavanagh, David Breen, Michael Coady; Jack Doherty (Paul Quilty 46), Peter White, Kevin O’Connor, Peter Higgins (Ben Ryan 66); Padraic Quinn (Aidan McGrath 80); Darragh Walshe.
Subs not used: Chip Sanders, Jamie Cross, John Frost, Conor Coad.

Booked: Kavanagh (56).

Cobh Ramblers: Robert Birdsall; Gary Collins, Brian Fitzgerald, Brendan Frahill, Martin Deady; Bobbi Donoghue (Alan O’Flynn 87), Michael O’Shea, James Carson, Davin O’Neill; Conor Meade (Jonathan Spillane 82), Kynan Rocks.
Subs not used: Shane Hallahan, Roy Kenny, Ian Long, Sean O’Mahony, Lloyd Spillane.

Booked: Deady (17), Carson (64).
Sent-Off: Fitzgerald (33).

Referee: Kevin O’Regan.

Attendance: 373

Extratime Man of the Match: Gavin Kavanagh (Waterford United).