2021 Season Preview: Cobh Ramblers

Stuart Ashton with his backroom team.

Stuart Ashton with his backroom team. Credit: Steve Alfred (ETPhotos)

Manager: Stuart Ashton

Stadium: St Colman’s Park

Players in: 

Cian Murphy (Galway Utd), David O Leary (Avondale), Sean Baron (Avondale), Killian Cooper (Avondale), Ciaran Griffin (Cobh Wanderers), Cathal Crowley (Cobh Ramblers U -19), Kevin Williams (Cork City U 19).

Players out: 

Adam Foley (Treaty Utd), David Hurley (Galway Utd), Paul Hunt (Cork City FC), Cameron Harlston (Ringmahon Rangers), Darragh Crowley (Cork City FC, end of loan).

 

Extratime.com Key Man: Pierce Phillips

22 -year -old Pierce Phillips has been named captain of the Ramblers for the 2021 season and the fact that the young midfielder has been entrusted with this responsibility by Stuart Ashton is an indication of the regard in which held by Ashton and his backroom team. Phillips is a defensive midfielder, a typical number six, he has a great ability to break up attacks from the opposition but he is also very comfortable on the ball and will look to be the channel through which attackers such as Nathan Coleman, Jake Hegarty and Cian Leonard can profit this season.

Phillips was capped at Irish Universities Level in the 2017/18 season while a student at UCC, a squad that also included current LOI stars Liam Scales (Shamrock Rovers), Georgie Kelly (Bohemians) and Lee Steacy (Longford Town)



Phillips was previously on the books of Cork City but struggled to make the breakthrough there as the Leeside neighbours went through a turbulent time in 2019 and 2020, so he will be very determined to be a key component of what is a very young Ramblers squad in the coming season.

Extratime.com One to Watch: Corey Chambers

Regular netminder Paul Hunt has been first choice goalkeeper for Ramblers since 2016 but his departure to Cork City in January 2021 has opened the door for new signing Corey Chambers to grab the number 1 jersey and make it his own this season.

Gorey native Chambers is still only 23 but he has accumulated a lot of experience at LOI clubs in recent years, having turned out for Waterford, Wexford Youths and Cabinteely from whom he moved from on a free transfer back in February of this year.

He also had a spell as goalkeeper with George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia while on a scholarship in the 2017/18 season, has represented Canada at U17 level (his mother is Canadian) and was also capped 16 times at underage level in Ireland.

Standing at 6 feet 2inches tall and with a range of experiences behind him he will not be fazed by having to replace local hero Hunt and could well be a key figure in Rambler’s quest for success this season.



 

How they did last season:

League:

Cobh finished the 2020 season in 6th position, only missing out on the exciting end of season promotion play offs on goal difference. They accumulated 27 points last season, the same total as Galway United but with an inferior goal difference of +2 compared to Galway’s +7.

They needed to beat Shamrock Rovers B in their last match at home to leap frog Galway into 5th position, thus qualifying for the 4 team play off to decide who would accompany Drogheda into the Premier Division, however they could only manage a 0-0 draw in that game Rovers.

A win in this last match, or a loss by Galway Utd in their last game at home to UCD would have been enough for Ramblers to make it to the play offs and they would then have considered 2020 to have been a very good season. However Shane Duggan’s 90th minute equaliser for Galway salvaged a 2-2 draw for the home side and that vital point gained was enough for them to retain 5th position and a place in the play offs.

FAI Cup:

Ramblers will be looking to avoid Dundalk in this years FAI Cup  as they have been drawn against them in the Cup for the last two seasons. A single Georgie Kelly goal was enough to end their interest in the 2019 competition while in last season’s clash they went down 2-0 at St Colman’s Park.

Dane Massey scored a cracking goal to put Dundalk 1-0 ahead in the 29th minute but Ramblers were more than a match for the remainder of the match, with Ben O Riordan and Charlie Lyons testing Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers on a number of occasions.

The result was put beyond doubt in the 79th minute, David McMillian making it 2-0 after a hotly contested penalty. Daniel Kelly appeared to lose control of the ball as he raced into the penalty area, going to ground after what looked like an innocuous challenge from a Cobh defender. The home side vigorously contested the referee’s decision but once McMillian confidently slotted home the penalty there was no way back for the home side.

What to expect this season

Cobh embark on the new season with Manager Stuart Ashton in charge for the second year of his two- year term, so the experience gained last season will be an invaluable asset to him as he attempts to push the club higher up the table this year with the realistic aim of making the play off’s.

They retain a core of experienced players from last season, the likes of Ben O Riordan and Charlie Lyons at the back, the experienced Ian Turner alongside club captain Pierce Phillips in midfield and Conor Drinan and Killian Cooper up front.

They only managed little over a goal a game last season, 22 goals in 18 matches, and given that their leading scorer was left back Charlie Lyons who finished the season with four goals, it is clear that improving their goals for tally is the key priority for the season ahead.

The have also lost the services of on loan striker Darragh Crowley, who has returned to Cork City, but they have managed to bring in Regix Madika from Waterford's U19 side.

The biggest challenge for Ramblers this season however will be the strength of the opposition they will face. The First Division has at least four clubs who consider the Premier Division, rather than the First Division, their natural habitat – Cork City, Shelbourne, Galway Utd and Bray Wanderers – and Ramblers will struggle to get any points off these teams this season and will be looking at the other games to at least equal their 27 points total from the 2020 season.

Cobh could not have asked for a tougher fixture to open their new season, facing local rivals Cork City in Turners Cross on Friday March 26th. This local derby would normally draw thousands of fans to the Cross but as it will be deserted next Friday night, the absence of the home support in particular may give the visitors a reasonable chance of at least getting a share of the spoils in their first outing.

 

Title odds: 20/1

First Game: Cork City FC (away), Friday March 26th, 19.45 KO

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