League Report: Cobh Ramblers 2-1 Cabinteely

Cobh Ramblers halted their recent losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Cabinteely in St. Colman's Park on Friday night.

The first-half was a goalless affair despite both teams having good chances. The goals arrived in the second-half with Kynan Rocks opening the scoring on 54 minutes, finishing off a Stephen Kenny pass. The visitors equalised five minutes later through Sodiq Oguntola when he slotted home the rebound after Richard Purdy’s earlier shot had hit the post.

The winner came on 66 minutes through Kenny when he controlled a Chris McCarthy cross and scored into the bottom left hand corner.
 

Cabo tried to snatch an equaliser, but ultimately ran out of time and their cause wasn’t helped by the sending off of Kevin Knight for a second bookable offence on 90 minutes.

The home side came out of the starting blocks the faster and had four chances but none of them found the Cabinteely net. Stephen Kenny fired over the bar, Kynan Rocks' effort went wide and then Jason Abbott had a shot from distance saved by Evan Whelan.

The Dubliners had a good spell of possession on the 20 minute mark but the pressure counted for nothing as, bar an effort which Rams 'keeper Eoin Daly did well to save, Cobh’s defence gave little away.

The home side continued getting chances away and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty on 38 minutes when Rocks appeared to be bundled over by Josh Quinlivan. Then, in the 44th minute Cobh had a goal disallowed when Shane O’Connor’s ball across the box hit off Quinlavan and Kenny pounced only for the linesmen to flag for offside.

Cabo had the better start to the second-half and were unlucky not to be in front on 47 minutes when Conor Foley rounded Daly only to see his shot blocked by Kevin Mulcahy’s head on the line.

Cobh weathered the storm and took the lead in the 54th minute. Kenny pulled the ball back to Rocks who smashed it beyond the helpless Whelan and into the Cabo net, despite Karl Byrne’s best attempts to stop it crossing the line.

However, that lead lasted all of five minutes when Purdy’s shot from distance was deflected off of Daly’s fingertips and onto the post, only to fall to the lurking Oguntola who opportunistically slotted home.

The goals moved the game's tempo up a couple of notches and it was the home side who benefitted, regaining the lead in the 65th minute when McCarthy’s ball found Kenny who controlled before scoring from 12 yards.
 

Cabo almost equalised again in the 68th minute when Purdy saw his free-kick from 35 yards smash off the crossbar with Daly well beaten. That was as close as the League of Ireland's newest club came to snatching a point in Cobh, despite their brave efforts.

Cobh Ramblers: Eoin Daly; Adam O’Sullivan, James Furlong, Kevin Mulcahy, Anthony O’Donnell; Jason Abbott; Stephen Christopher, Chris McCarthy (Ryan Goldsmith 76), Kynan Rocks (Daniel Barry 90); Shane O’Connor; Stephen Kenny.

Subs not used: Shane Hallahan, David Curran.

Yellow Cards: Adam O’Sullivan (58), Jason Abbott (68), Chris McCarthy (72).

Cabinteely: Evan Whelan; Karl Byrne (Stephen Dunne 81), Kevin Knight, Victor Ekanem (Josh Quinlavan 29), Jamie Broderick; Stephen Hanley, Richard Purdy, John McKeown, Michael Brown; Sodiq Oguntola, Conor Foley.

Subs not used: Aaron Brilly, Ross Broderick, Llyod Cairns, Daniel Campbell, Cathal Gilligan.

Yellow Cards: Kevin Knight (79).

Red Cards: Kevin Knight (91).

Referee: Patrick Gleeson (Limerick).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Stephen Kenny (Cobh Ramblers).

Attendance: 350 (estimate).