- Macdara Ferris
- Sun, Apr 27 2014
Shamrock Rovers made it back-to-back home wins in the First Division with Sunday’s 3-1 win over Cobh Ramblers at Tallaght Stadium.
Emeka Onwubiko and Muhanned Bukhatwa gave the Hoops a 2-0 lead. Robert Waters got a goal back for Cobh from the penalty spot but Daniel Purdy’s fifth goal of the season saw it end 3-1 to Shamrock Rovers.
Neither goalkeeper had much to do in the first half with both sets of players being wasteful with chances that came their way shooting wide of the goal. However, Emeka Onwubiko was ruthless with the one chance that he did get when he opened the scoring mid-way through the half.
Rovers have had all sorts of problems defending set pieces in the opening round of fixtures and were required to deal with one seven minutes into game. A Ryan Doolin foul allowed the Rams to put a free kick into the box. When Alan O'Flynn fired the free into the box, Hoops ‘keeper Shane Fagan easily claimed it on the bounce in front of him.
Rovers had their own set piece two minutes later from which they almost took the lead. Kevin Knight’s beautiful in-swinging corner required Sean O'Mahony to head off the line. Hoops top goalscorer Daniel Purdy did well to dispossess Roy Kenny and ran at the Rams defence. He went down in the box but referee Eoghan O'Shea waved play on.
Bobbi Donoghue created much of what Cobh had to offer in the first half. When space opened up for him in front of the Rovers defence on 12 minutes, he got a shot away but it went well wide of the goal. Next his powerful run and cross ended with the Rovers having to scramble his cross away.
Colin Hawkins’ Hoops side allowed Cobh’s right back Sean O'Mahony get in a couple of crosses that saw Rovers 'keeper Shane Fagan drop the first before Robert Waters powerfully headed wide the second cross.
Adam Whelan headed over for the Hoops from another Knight corner on 19 minutes but two minutes later the home team took the lead. Onwubiko got on the end of Corie Treacy's great ball over the top. He was able to lob the advancing Robert Birdsall for his first goal of the season.
Soon after Michael Kelly went close with a header for the Hoops from a corner while Jonathan Creamer free kick for Cobh required Adam Whelan to head clear for the Hoops.
Rovers doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half. The goal came after great work by Emeka Onwubiko as he took on and beat Brendan Frahill. His cross should have been cleared by Anthony O'Donnell but he allowed it run past him. Half-time substitute Muhannad Bukhatwa was in the right position to exploit that error and he finished well with his right foot.
However, the Hoops had conceded within three minutes as Corie Treacy handled in the box and Robert Waters made no mistake with the penalty to get his team’s first goal in five games.
After Bukhatwa’s shot just cleared the Cobh crossbar on 61 minutes, Treacy almost made amends for his earlier handling error as his header rattled the bar from a Daniel Purdy cross mid-way through the section half. The duo linked up again from a set piece minutes later but Treacy couldn’t find the target this time.
Purdy restored Rovers’ two goal cushion on 76 minutes as Cobh allowed Kevin Knight to hold up the ball with his back to goal. When Purdy received Knight’s knock back, he beat one player, before chipping the ball over Robert Birdsall to make it 3-1.
Cobh couldn’t make it back into the game and the defeat makes it five losses from five games on the road this season as they stay routed to the bottom of the table without a win. Rovers are a position above them but have nine points with the win moving them level with Finn Harps in the table who they face in Ballybofey next Friday evening.
Shamrock Rovers: Shane Fagan; Liam Traynor, Michael Kelly, Corie Treacy, Alan Kehoe; Adam Whelan (Muhannad Bukhatwa h/t), Jack Watson (Richie Purdy 83), Ryan Doolin, Kevin Knight; Daniel Purdy; Emeka Onwubiko (Mark Sandford 89).
Subs not used: Michael Kelly (gk), Conor Dunne, Thomas Tiernan, Cian Kavanagh.
Booked: Doolin (58), Kehoe (82)
Cobh Ramblers: Robert Birdsall; Sean O'Mahony (Eoin Hastings 80) , Craig Burns, Brendan Frahill, Anthony O'Donnell (Keith O'Flynn 76); Bobbi Donoghue, Alan O’Flynn (George Gill 89), Roy Kenny, Ryan Goldsmith; Robert Waters, Jonathon Creamer.
Subs not used: Shane Hallahan (gk), Shane Hallahan.
Booked: Burns (25), Goldsmith (73), Creamer (85).
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea.
Attendance: 200 (estimate).
Extratime.ie man of the match: Emeka Onwubiko (Shamrock Rovers).
