League Preview: Shamrock Rovers II -v- Cobh Ramblers

SHAMROCK ROVERS II 

Aidan Price’s Shamrock Rovers II team are back in Tallaght Stadium on Monday night to take on Cobh Ramblers (kick off 7.45pm).

Last Friday the Hoops’ First Division team lost 2-1 to Longford Town at home on a night when Rovers’ 15-year-old player Kevin Zefi became the youngest goalscorer in League of Ireland history.

The player who has been linked with moves to Inter Milan and PSV scored in the second half and at just 15 years and 206 days old he beat the previous record held by Limerick’s Steven McGann since 2010 by almost half a year.

The Hoops have won twice since the return after the COVID-19 break – beating Wexford 2-0 at home and Athlone Town 4-0 away - and sit just one spot below sixth placed Cobh in the table – albeit six points behind Ramblers.

Defender Sean Callan is unavailable for Rovers due to suspension having picked up five yellow cards from the nine league games the Hoops have played this season in the First Division.

COBH RAMBLERS

Cobh come into Monday’s match on the back of three straight wins in the league and moving Ramblers up into the hunt for promotion.

While they are sixth in the table, they are only five points off joint leaders Cabinteely and Longford – with De Town having played one more game than Cabo and Cobh. 

Stuart Ashton’s men earned those wins with three consecutive clean sheets. Naythan Coleman got the winner for Ramblers last Friday night in the 1-0 away win over Drogheda United.



There are a trio of teams that are three points above Cobh in the table so Ramblers are targeting leaving Dublin 24 on Monday with a win to help them move up the table. 

Having been eliminated from the FAI Cup last month by Dundalk – losing 2-0 in St. Coleman’s park – Ramblers are now fully focussed on pushing for at least a place in the playoffs if not the automatic promotion spot.

Referee: Rob Dowling

MATCH STATS

Cobh have won just the one match on the road this season.

When the Hoops have kept a clean sheet this season which they have done on two occasions, they have also gone on to claim all three points.



This is the first time that the teams have met this yearn. A Rovers B team played Cobh in 2014 when Ramblers finished bottom of the First Division with the Hoops sixth in the eight team league. Rovers B won both home games (3-1 and 6-0) while Ramblers were unbeaten at St. Colemna’s Park (winning 3-0 along with a 1-1 draw).

PREDICTION
1-1 

Shamrock Rovers II 

Injured: Unknown

Suspended: Sean Callan.

Cobh Ramblers

Injured: Unknown. 

Suspended: None

    About Macdara Ferris

    Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile