League Preview: Shamrock Rovers B -v- Cobh Ramblers

• Macdara Ferris
• Sat, Aug 16 2014




SHAMROCK ROVERS B

The First Division season enters its final quarter for Shamrock Rovers’ team in the second tier of the SSE Airtricity League when they face Cobh Ramblers in Tallaght on Sunday (kick off 2pm). Last week on the night that Pat Fenlon took charge of Rovers in the Premier Division, Colin Hawkins’ men earned their first win in the First Division in twelve games.

 

The Hoops stopped the rot of nine consecutive defeats when they scored their first goal in 1,025 minutes. It was Cian Kavanagh’s 76^th minute goal, his first of the season, away to Waterford United that set up their first victory since May. The win was rounded off with an injury time strike from Daniel Purdy from a Chris Lyons pass, with Lyons also having provided the assist for Rovers’ opener.

 

Colin Hawkins handed a debut to Maxime Vuille last week. The Swiss player is currently studying in Dublin and played for the Hoops in their recent friendly matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers. There have been a few recent departures from the Rovers squad with Corrie Treacy, Ryan Coombes (Bray Wanders) and Kevin Knight (Athlone Town) having the left Tallaght.

 

COBH RAMBLERS

Cobh Ramblers ran out 3-0 winners the last time they met Rovers and that was also the last time they won a game in the First Division. Since then they’ve drawn two and lost four, including last week’s trip to Tolka Park where they went down 2-0 to Shels.

 

The Rams are bottom of the table and while they travel to Tallaght to take on the team in penultimate place, there are still eight points between the sides. When they last came to Dublin to take on Rovers, the Hoops won by a scoreline of 3-1. Robert Waters scored from the penalty spot that day but he is suspended for Sunday’s game.

 

The Rams have only managed to avoid defeat away from St. Colman’s Park in the league on one occasion this season; that was last month’s 0-0 draw in Finn Park. Martin Cambridge included two debutants in last week’s team against Shelbourne. Andrew Neville and Eoghan Murphy played at the back for Cobh with Stephen Kenny, recently re-signed, also starting following his move back to the club from Waterford.

 

Referee: Robert Hennessey.

 

 

MATCH STATS

Daniel Purdy is the Rovers top scorer in the First Division this season with six goals from his 16 games. Martin Deady, with four league goals, is Cobh’s top scorer.

 

The teams have played each other three times this year with a win for both teams. The stalemate came on the opening night of the season back in March. Daniel Purdy’s first half goal looked like it would earn Rovers’ B team a debut win until an 88th minute James Carson goal grabbed Cobh a point

 

This will be Robert Hennessey’s sixth game as referee in the First Division. He was the man in the charge when Cobh drew with Shels 2-2 in June. He also also officiated one Shamrock Rovers First Division game, when the Hoops lost in Galway 5-0 last month.

 

 

BETTING
Shamrock Rovers B 10/11; Draw 9/4; Cobh Ramblers 11/4.

 

PREDICTION
1-0 to the Hoops.

 

 

Shamrock Rovers B

Injured: Unavailable.
Suspended: None.

 

Cobh Ramblers

Injured: Unavailable.
Suspended: Robert Waters.