'We learned things the hard way because we were battered by six goals' - Stuart Ashton reacts as Cobh suffer defeat at home to UCD

Dylan O’Connell reports from St Colman’s Park

Cobh Ramblers and manager Stuart Ashton endured a Saturday night to forget as their four-game unbeaten run ended with a 6-0 hammering at the hands of UCD at St Colman’s Park.

Cobh, who are chasing a place in the play-offs, remain sixth in the table after the game, three points from Cabinteely who are now in fifth.

The game also saw captain John Kavanagh sent off for a second yellow card midway through the first half.

“It is obviously not the result we wanted,” Ashton said minutes from the final whistle. “From our point of view this result was self-inflicted.

“We let a sloppy goal in and that is not what we have been about for the last couple of weeks. At one-nil they managed the game well and having man sent off made it hard for us.

“At two-nil we had a chance where we could have got one back. That would have made it a different game.

“We lost our organisation and we lost our concentration. We were out of the game and then we got sucker punched for it.”

Next up for Cobh is a trip to face Athlone Town and a win may see the Rams potentially move up to fourth position.

“We were on a little run and that ended, so we have to start again. Realistically we didn’t think that run would last until the end of the season.

“The lads are hurting, and they have to learn from that. We learned things tonight the hard way because we were battered by six goals. That hasn’t been us and we have to regroup now.

“Any team in this division can get a result. Athlone won’t be an easy game. We just have to get back on the training ground and get the heads back up and we have to learn.”