Cobh Ramblers back on track with victory over Athlone Town

Athlone Town 2 Cobh Ramblers 3

Cobh Ramblers got back to winning ways in the League of Ireland First Division by defeating Athlone Town at Lissywollen.

A first-half Barry Coffey brace was joined by a close-range David Bosnjak finish after the break on a night that saw Mick McDermott and his players jump back into second place.

The home side twice pulled a goal back with Gideon Tetteh hitting the back of the net, and a frantic late push for an equaliser ended in vain.

This was Cobh’s third outing in a week and it followed Monday’s victory over Rockmount in the Munster Senior Cup final at Turner’s Cross, with five players were retained from that night.

The Ramblers’ focus was bouncing back from last Friday’s loss to Dundalk, which gave the league leaders a six-point cushion at the summit following the game at St Colman’s Park.

Cobh wasted no time in Lissywollen, with Cian Murphy setting up Coffey to get the first goal in just the second minute.

What got the team into these positions was simple moves involving passing triangles that involved players like Samuel Bellis knitting play together while Cian Murphy and Bosnjak did the running.

Out of this game the second goal in the 23rd minute, with Coffey finding the target with a low strike.

The Ramblers had an opportunity to get a third from a free-kick at the end of the half, and Waterford’s Shane Griffin saw his in-swinging ball headed away by the Athlone defence.

Cobh led 2-0 at the break and the game restarted with the home side making a triple substitution, and with that came a renewed push by the home side.

Suddenly Athlone were creating meaningful chances and that began with Kyle Robinson firing wide. Tetteh also cut inside and saw a close-range attempt pushed out for a corner that came to nothing by Timothy Martin.

The would-be-scorer followed that up by turning in a header and suddenly it was 2-1 in the 57th minute and the home side had all the momentum.

Cobh simply kept their cool and set up Bellis for a low cross which Bosnjak turned in at the far post in the 64th minute.

Athlone did not give up, and a second came from Tetteh getting to the ball inside the area after it was headed on.

The Ramblers buckled down as the home side rallied for an equaliser, and that secured the three points.

ATHLONE: Matthew Connor; Dylan Hand, Agbo Babatunde, Aaron Connolly, Kyle Robinson, Cole Omorehiomwan, Noe Baba, Kaillin Barlow, Brian Torre, Gideon Tetteh, Billy Gilmore.

Subs: German Fuentes Rodriguez for Omorehiomwan (HT); Ben Feeney for Babatunde Babatunde (HT), Daniel McKenna for Gilmore (HT), Adam Lennon for Barlow (64).

COBH: Timothy Martin; Jonas Hakkinen, Shane Griffin, Cian Coleman, Luka Le Bervet, Niall O’Keeffe, Shane Griffin, Samuel Bellis, Barry Coffey, David Bosnjak, Cian Murphy.

Subs: Dale Holland for Griffin (HT); Jason Abbott Coffey (55).

Referee: Daniel Murphy