- Bar OSullivan
- Sun, May 11 2008
Bohemians closed the gap between themselves and leaders St Pats on Saturday night thanks to a one nil win over Cobh at St Colemans Park. Cobh were particularly poor in the first half and allowed Bohs far too much time on the ball so it was no surprise that they went in at half time trailing to a fourteenth minute Killian Brennan goal.
Ramblers were far better in the second half and took the game to their Dublin visitors but in the end their long term unbeaten home record fell and they remain second from bottom with just six points from ten games
Missing the suspended Graham Cummins and Shane Barrett, as well as Alan Kearney and Brian McCarthy through injury, it was always going to be a big ask for Cobh to get something from this game especially after they went a goal down early on.
Neale Fenn, afforded far too much time and space on the ball, picked out Killian Brennan on the left hand side of the Cobh penalty area and the former Derry winger finished well after taking a touch to steady himself. Right back Alan Carey had been drawn towards the centre and was badly caught out by Fenn's vision.
Right from the start the warning signs were there and it quickly became clear how Bohs intended to break down the strong centre back pairing of Kevin Murray and Shane Guthrie. Fenn dropped off and received possession with his back to goal. With time to turn and look up he picked out Glen Crowe in the box with a delicate chip - fortunately for the home side James McCarty was well positioned to save the strikers volley.
Still unsure of how to deal with Fenn, even after he created Brennans goal, Cobh were lucky not to concede another couple, all before the half hour mark. The former Cork favourite started a move that eventually saw Crowe slip JP Kelly in, but the young midfielder wasn't able to keep his cool and totally mis-hit his shot. Fenn then tried his luck from long range with a right footed shot that ended up just a couple of feet wide of McCarthys right hand side upright.
Cobh's first chance of game came when Davin ONeill bundled his way past two players and let fly from thirty yards with his right foot. Bohs keeper Brian Murphy wasn't to be troubled though as the shot went high and wide.
With half time approaching Carey was again caught out of position and unable to recover. Brennan drifted over to the far side and floated a ball to Crowe who had slipped in behind Carey unnoticed. Carey's blushes were spared as Crowe didn't connect properly.
Cobh started the second half brightly and were almost unrecognisable from the side that left the field fifteen minutes earlier. The back four pushed up towards half way, the midfield got tight to their Bohs counterparts and strikers Kieran OReilly and ONeill started to make life difficult for Ken Oman and Liam Burns.
O'Reilly sent in a teasing cross to the back post and Owen Heary had to be alert as Mikey O'Shea was nearby hoping the ball would come to him. Cobh attacked down their right hand aside again and Oman was adjudged to have handled Michael Mulconry's cross. Referee Whoriskey pointed to the spot but for the second week in succession Cobh failed to tuck away a penalty. Brian Murphy saved well from John Kearney.
For the first twenty minutes of the second half it was more or less all Cobh but they were unable to create any clear cut openings. Crowe then quickly had two sightings of goal as the game started to become open. He got on the end of Kelly's through ball but shot straight at McCarthy and was then denied at the front post when Murray just managed to get to Kelly's cross before him. Substitute Jason Byrne then had a powerful swerving shot from the edge of the box well saved.
O'Reilly thought he was in on goal after a McGuinness error but Burns cleaned up the danger. With five minutes to go Cobh were piling on the pressure in search of a late equaliser. O'Neill's deep cross was kept in play by O'Shea and Conor Powell was forced to clear for a corner that Murray went close from with a powerful header.
McGuinness then did well to clear a Cambridge cross when under pressure from O'Neill. In the final minute Cobh had a penalty appeal turned down. Murphy came to collect a long free kick but was beaten to it by Murray - as the ball was dropping and free, Murray had his shirt tugged by a Bohs defender but Whoriskey didn't seem to see it and blew up for full time a few seconds later.
Cobh Ramblers: James McCarthy; Alan Carey, Shane Guthrie, Kevin Murray, John Meade; Michael Mulconry, John Kearney (Roy Long 73), Ken Coleman, Michael OShea (Ray Lally 83); Kieran O'Reilly (Gareth Cambridge 73), Davin O'Neill.
Bohemians: Brian Murphy; Owen Heary, Liam Burns, Ken Oman (Jason McGuinness 65), Conor Powell; John Paul Kelly, Glenn Cronin, Stephen O'Donnell (Mark Rossiter 77), Killian Brennan; Glen Crowe (Jason Byrne 65), Neale Fenn.
Referee: Hugo Whoriskey.
Attendance: 1,400 (estimate)
