Cobh Ramblers impress with big win over Longford Town
Cobh Ramblers' Samuel Bellis is congratulated by Barry Coffey after scoring against Longford Town, during their SSE Airtricity League First Division clash, at St Colman's Park. Picture: David Keane.
Two goals inside five minutes from Samuel Bellis and Waterford native Shane Griffin helped Cobh Ramblers blitz Longford Town at St Colman’s Park.
Barry Coffey got in on the action with a brace and David Bosnjak scored off the bench, and the result gives Mick McDermott his first league win on home soil.
The Ramblers went into the game looking to up the ante after frustrating draws against Kerry FC and UCD, and they had a dream start when a Cian Murphy shot was palmed out to Coffey. The midfielder’s attempt was cleared to Bellis for a simple tap and Cobh led 1-0 in just the 3rd minute.
That was followed by a free-kick which Shane Griffin curled into the top right corner at the Liam McMahon stand.
And it would have been 3-0 at the 11th minute if Harry Halwax did not get to a low attempt from Bellis at the near post.
Dean George went close to pulling one back for Longford, and his header was pushed away by Timothy Martin at the 22nd minute.
Aaron Doran followed that up by getting a shot away, and Jonas Häkkinen got in the way of this on the half-hour mark.
At the other end of the pitch, Waterford’s Shane Griffin crossed to Coffey for a simple header which made it 3-0 with 37 minutes on the clock.
Dale Holland tried to get in on the action, and his rising shot went high and wide before the break.
The game restarted with Osaze Irhue setting up Doran for a close-range strike inside the area that went harmlessly out of play.
Cobh paid no heed to these advances, instead they stuck to a game plan that involved possession and looking for space outside.
This is where the fourth goal came from, with Coffey getting his second of the night from a low Niall O’Keeffe cross.
Longford tried to get themselves back in the game with a quadruple substitution designed to inject a fresh sense of energy into a group that was getting out-run and out-played since kick-off.
McDermott refreshed his team by bringing on Bosnjak, Brendeán Frahill, and Jason Abbott at the 67th minute.
This new group slotted in and continued to pin Longford deep into their own half.
A fifth goal was coming and it arrived when Bosnjak latched onto a pass and fired in with 82 minutes on the clock, and this is his second of the league season.
It finished as a comfortable win for Cobh, who will travel to Donegal to play Finn Harps next week.
Timothy Martin; John O’Donovan, Niall O’Keeffe, Shane Griffin, Barry Coffey, Cian Murphy, Cian Coleman, Jonas Häkkinen, Shane Griffin, Dale Holland, Samuel Bellis.
David Bosnjak for Bellis (67); Brendeán Frahill for Griffin (67), Jason Abbott for O’Keeffe (67), Nolan Evers for Colman (76), Tiernan O’Brien for Murphy (80).
Harry Halwax; Dean George, Emre Topcu, Pharrell Manuel, Daragh Murtagh, Osaze Irhue, Aaron Doran, Dean O’Shea, Eric Yoro, Andrew Spain, Joshua Harsani Giurgi.
Ross Fay for Doran (64); Francis Campbell for Manuel (64), Mohammad Bodiaf for Murtagh (64), Etoile Emmanuel Milongo for Topcu (64), Jamal Ibrahim for George (79).
Thomas Joyce.
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