Cobh Ramblers eager to avenge FAI Cup defeat to Colin Healy's Kerry FC 

Cobh Ramblers will face Kerry FC for the sixth time this season this evening (7.45pm).

Mick McDermott and his players will travel to Mounthawk Park, Tralee re-energised after reducing the gap on Dundalk to six points.

Now it’s about going again, with the teams also set to meet on the final day of the season at St Colman’s Park.

Cobh thought they fell out of the race following their 2-2 draw with UCD, but things flipped when Kerry managed to get a point at Oriel Park.

Ramblers were in Lissywollen for a game with basement side Athlone Town that night and the game could not have gone any better as they stormed into a 3-0 half-time lead.

Cian Murphy opened the scoring early on and the result was wrapped up during a spell that saw two goals in two minutes as captain Shane Griffin and Barry Coffey scored.

The Kingdom were at Oriel Park that night and they took the lead through Ronan Teehan. Daryl Horgan equalised from the penalty spot and Robbie Cleary put Kerry back in front before the break.

Keith Ward came on at half-time and announced his arrival with a deep cross that Horgan turned in to make it 2-2, and once again Kerry quickly replied. Teehan got his second of the night and Ward ensured it would finish all square with a neat finish inside the area.

CONTENDERS

Kerry survived a late onslaught to get a point, which keeps Colin Healy’s side in play-off contention at eighth place. The Kingdom are also into the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup for the first time, where they will play Sligo Rovers at Mounthawk Park.

This is a huge sign of progress for a club at the tail end of their third campaign, following their election to the league in 2023.

Kerry’s time can be measured through their relationship with Cobh as the derby went from a one-sided affair to a close encounter, especially this season.

Their rivalry started in January with a Munster Senior Cup tie at Mounthawk Park. The Kingdom raced into a 2-0 lead and Cobh got back into the tie with Shane Griffin and Jason Abbott scoring in the second half.

It was 3-3 when the referee blew his final whistle and John O’Donovan got the winner in extra-time with a header.

The first league game at St Colman’s Park finished 0-0 and McDermott’s players marked their return to Tralee with Coffey netting a first-half brace in a 2-0 victory.

Ramblers and Kerry met again in Cork at the end of June and Cobh struggled to break down a team that had just been taken over by Healy.

Then Tim-Oliver Hiemer made a mistake at the near post which Matthew Whelan to get in and score what turned out to be the winner on the hour mark.

The next instalment in the Cobh-Kerry saga was in the FAI Cup in Tralee and the game opened with O’Donovan seeing red and Cian Brosnan giving the home side the lead.

Ramblers pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but they were undone by a Joseph Adams goal and captain Shane Griffin getting sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

McDermott’s players are now out for some kind of payback against a form side in the league.

The Kingdom have already beaten Cobh in recent weeks, and got a point against Dundalk at Oriel Park. Healy also oversaw a narrow win over Longford Town, which only increased the feelgood factor in Tralee. It hints at a tight game between the two teams this evening.