Cobh Ramblers 0 - 3 Derry City

With both Finn Harps and UCD picking up maximum points on Friday night, the pressure was all on Cobh Ramblers when they played Derry City on Saturday evening at St Colmans Park.

Stephen Henderson’s men hadn’t won at home in six attempts. Derry were fresh from a league cup semi final win over Galway last Monday night, and knew that a win would lift them to within two points of third placed Cork.

The Derry back line had an unusual look to it. Clive Delaney and Stephen Gray lined up at centre back for the visitors, flanked either side by Eddie McCallion and Sean Hargan. Cobh were without injured strikers Ross Gaynor and Kieran O’Reilly. Colin O’Brien returned from suspension.

Derry came close after just two minutes, but Kevin Murray did well to cut out a Mark Farren cross. Daryl Kavanagh then had a great chance to give the hosts an unlikely lead – but Derry keeper Ger Doherty made himself look big and blocked the ex Waterford players effort.

Midway through the half a well taken Ruairdhi Higgins free kick had the Cobh defence in trouble, but Colin O’Brien managed to hook it clear before any Derry head could make contact.

Derry were enjoying most of the possession, with Cobh being limited to trying to hit on the break. On one such occasion Kenny Coleman set Davin O’Neill free down the left. With no one in support, O’Neill tried taking on McCallion, but the experienced full back came out on top.

Derry’s Niall McGinn then had two good chances within the space of two minutes. On the half hour mark he superbly took down a cross field ball, and cut inside his marker Carey. He opted to shoot early, but it was a weak effort that James McCarthy easily saved. McGinn then volleyed goalwards after McCarthy had punched clear a corner – but it didn’t dip in time and went narrowly over.

Another rare Cobh attack came close to bearing fruit, but the lineman adjudged Kavanagh to have been offside when Greg O’Halloran had slipped the ball through to him between the Derry centre backs. The best chance of the half fell to Gareth McGlynn, just before referee Buttimer blew for the break. McGlynn got the better of Murray, but wasn’t able to direct his shot past McCarthy.

Cobh started the second forty five well. Carey and O’Halloran exchanged passes in the oppositions half and fed Kavanagh. Kavanagh turned smartly and took it past two further challenges, before being tackled well in the box.

A horrendous mix up in the Cobh defence nearly gifted the visitors a goal after fifty minutes of play. Deery crossed from the right, and both Shane Guthrie and keeper McCarthy left it to each other. Farren got his head to it, but it took a touch off Guthrie and went out for a corner kick.

Cobh were still playing on the break, and nearly took the lead after ten minutes of the second half. O’Neill did well on the left and put in a teasing cross, aimed at Mickey O’Shea. Stephen Gray did well to get back into position at time, and then made an excellent clearance, sweeping the ball out and away from O’Shea.

Midway through the half, Derry took what was probably a deserved lead. McGinn struck a low volley, that McCarthy managed to palm on to the post and out for a corner. McGinn picked up the short corner and made room for a shot at the edge of the box – his shot may have been goal bound anyway, but it took a deflection off Delaney and bobbled into the net.

Cobh were forced to come out and push more men forward – but as soon as they did, McGinn and McGlynn started to find much more room to operate in – and with eight minutes remaining the two combined to give Derry a second.

McGinn raced past Carey and pulled the ball back from the byline. McGlynn was waiting, and smashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner from fourteen yards. Three minutes into stoppage time Derry added a third. Substitutes Kevin McHugh and Sammie Morrow exchanged passes, before the former Hibernian striker finished well.

Cobh Ramblers: James McCarthy; Alan Carey, Shane Guthrie, Kevin Murray, John Meade; Michael O'Shea (Graham Cummins 73), Ken Coleman (John Kearney 83), Colin O'Brien, Greg O'Halloran; Davin O'Neill, Daryl Kavanagh.
Subs not used: Ross Gaynor, Shane Barrett, Stephen Mulcahy.

Derry City: GerDoherty; Eddie McCallion, Clive Delaney, Steven Gray, Sean Hargan; Gareth McGlynn, Ruaidhri Higgins, Kevin Deery, Niall McGinn; Thomas Stewart (Kevin McHugh 83), Mark Farren (Sammy Morrow 61).
Subs not used: Darren Quigley, Aaron Callaghan, James McClean.

Referee: Richie Winter.

Attendance: 660