A disappointed Cobh Ramblers manager Stuart Ashton could have few complaints ultimately about this comprehensive defeat at the hands of UCD in St Colman’s Park.

It was a night which saw the visiting side show the greater quality in front of goal and Cobh unable to build on their promising opening night display against Cork City.

However when speaking after the defeat for his side, Ashton was honest in his assessment of the game.

“We didn’t show up tonight, it was as simple as that. The display was poor and we got punished for it.

“Up until the opening goal we were edging it I thought in spells. But then we fell apart basically. We’ve lost our bit of organization and unfortunately one or two players lost their discipline as well.

“The first UCD goal, we haven’t reacted to that all over. For me it was a game where they picked up all the second balls and we were second best to that.

“That dictated it from there. After going one nil up, they had a bit of freedom to play, but we didn’t track that back and we didn’t chase them down.

“We didn’t show up tonight, it was as simple as that. The display was poor and we got punished for it."

After coming out of the opening game with so many positives against Cork City, Cobh were unable to build on that here against the Students.

Although Cobh could have easily claimed at least a draw in Turners Cross, on this night against UCD there could be absolutely no disputing that the better side on the night won.

“That is what we have to sit down and look at,” replied Ashton as to what Cobh will do during the week in terms of seeking to assess where things went wrong and areas to improve upon for their clash next week against Treaty United.

“Obviously we will look over the analysis and that and the players have to have their opinion on it.

“So we will sit down and hopefully work that out. But tonight we didn’t do what we are capable of doing and we got punished for it.

“We have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and we need to get back to playing the way we know we can play. Which is way better than what we showed tonight.

“Everyone is saying this First Division is a hard league, to win games and to get out of. The results have shown already that it is going to be hard.

“We know that and we have to be up for that. Tonight we weren’t up for it for some reason. We were second best to everything and we got punished for that.”