2023 Season Review: Cobh Ramblers

Team: Cobh Ramblers

Head Coach: Shane Keegan

Top Scorer: Jack Doherty (18 league goals)

Stadium: St. Coleman’s Park

Highest Attendance: 1,620 (Waterford on 7^th April)

Lowest Attendance: 618 (Kerry on 1^st May)

Star Player: Jack Doherty

It had to be really. It was seen as major coup for the Cork side to land the highly rated attacker, despite attention from several Premier Division sides. His performances for both Longford Town and Wexford had marked the Waterford academy graduate as one of the hottest talents outside of the topflight.  

The question was how he was going to be able to lift the fortunes of the Ramblers who had finished outside of the play-offs for the previous six seasons. A goal on his debut ensured they got off on the right footing.

His capacity to provide thrust as a deeper lying midfielder or as a number ten ensured a dimension that had been absent last season. He linked up well with the likes of Wilson Waweru, Tiernan O’ Brien and Mikie Rowe kept them in the play-off picture for almost the entire season.

It seemed inevitable that he would move on after Cobh fell just short of their promotion goal. He was quickly snapped up by the relegated Cork City and will be expected to lead their promotion aim next season.  

Best Young Player: Liam Kervick

Cobh have been associated with a strong academy system over the years and the 2023 squad had its fair share of promising young talent. The likes of Darragh O’Sullivan-Connell, Cian Browne and Tieran O’ Brien have all impressed during the campaign and look to have a bright future. The player I feel stood out the most was Liam Kervick.

The 20-year-old graduate from the Waterford academy has been on loan with Cobh since July 2022 but last season was his first full year with the club. He chipped in with five goals and a number of assists as the club exceeded expectations to finish third. His pace and trickery from out wide gave a new dimension to the side.

He has signed on a permanent basis ahead of the 2024 season and will aim to fill the creative hole left by the departure of Jack Doherty.

Best New Signing: Wilson Waweru

Recruitment was an aspect that Cobh did well in during the pre-season. Mikie Rowe and Charlie Lyons arrived from Galway United to give them greater firepower up front and a solidity in defence. The player that would choose to pick out is another Galway arrival in Wilson Waweru though. 

In a side that had often lacked experience and consistency with their strikers, he offered them a focal point. His pace and physical presence allowed Shane Keegan’s side the option to sit deep and hit teams on the break with their pace. He chipped in with an impressive thirteen goals to help take the load off the likes of Doherty and Rowe.

Unfortunately, his loan spell came to an end after the loss in the playoffs. He has since been transferred to Sligo Rovers from his parent club Galway United.

What we expected they would do: 8^th.

It was expected to be another season of disappointment for the Cork side and only a slight improvement from their last place finish in the previous season.

What they actually did: 3rd.

They surpassed expectations and then some. It was expected that Galway United and Waterford would slug it out for the guaranteed promotion spot and the usual names filling the playoffs. A run of just one loss in seven at the start of the campaign ensured that they would be the best of the rest in the promotion race.

They were noticeably more solid in defence that helped them notch up an impressive number of clean sheets for Lee Stacey – who has moved on to Shamrock Rovers for the 2024 season as back-up to Leon Pohls.  

Despite a mid-season dip which saw them drop ten points from four games, they were able to demonstrate admirable powers of recovery to stay in the race. Four games unbeaten saw them stay ahead of the chasing pack. Victories over both Galway and Waterford displayed that they were a team to be taken seriously come the end of the season.

There was a certain amount of easing up as the season approached its end as they only won two from their last five. Their position had been secured by that point though. 

They were paired with Wexford in the semi-finals. A sole Wilson Waweru effort at Ferrycarrig Park proved to be the difference between the sides. The second leg at St. Colemans proved to be a much tighter affair. James O’Leary levelled up on the night late on after falling behind in the first half.

They held on to progress to the final against Waterford. In a match between the sides who finished second and third, the game matched in quality. In a game that ebbed and flowed, an overhead kick from Matthew McKevitt ensured that Cobh took it to extra-time after Ronan Coughlan scored earlier on.

Giles Phillips scored the winner in this period for the Blues who were indebted to their keeper for several excellent saves to leave Cobh disconsolate on the final whistle.

What they need to improve on for next year:

It will be a tough ask to replicate last seasons success. In a division without Waterford and Galway, Cork City have been installed as the early favourites to win the league, and the usual names have been busy recruiting to get into the promotion race. It’s often that the smaller clubs can be a victim of their own success has their players will draw the attention of bigger names.

Already the club has seen the departure of manager Shane Keegan, Jack Doherty, Charlie Lyons, Lee Stacey and Wilson Waweru to leave sizeable gaps in the side. Incoming boss Gary Hunt brings in a wealth of experience from Waterford having helped them to successive promotion/relegation finals.

He will be expected to work within a budget and sell the cause for any potential loanees.

Cobh Ramblers announce coaching staff for 2024 https://t.co/TW5lCEHndApic.twitter.com/6iY2qdBuJL

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) December 31, 2023