Cobh Ramblers boss on why Barry Coffey is the best attacking midfielder in the league

The run-in will continue for Cobh Ramblers this Friday with a game against Bray Wanderers at St Colman's Park, 7.45pm.

Mick McDermott's side are still in second place with 66 points from 33 games, and they need league leaders Dundalk to lose one of their next two outings if they are to set up a title decider on the final day in East Cork.

The Ramblers need Dundalk to stutter, either against Finn Harps or Athlone Town, as they look to defeat Bray Wanderers and Longford Town.

As far as McDermott is concerned, things are the same as they were when he first set foot on the island last December. The coach just wants a competitive team, that is capable of getting results and playing exciting football.

There is a small bit of hope, but his focus is taking all three points from the game with Bray Wanderers.

“Nothing has changed for us since the start of the season – we’ll keep going until it is mathematically impossible and we see that teams can slip up at any moment,” he said.

TARGET

“Now we have to hope they slip up. We’ll do our job. It’s Bray next week and that is our next target. Our target will be three points. Their target will be three points. Let’s see what we can do here. 

"Hopefully we get a good crowd here and we will do everything we can to pick up those three points. We’ll see where the last nine points brings us.” 

 One player that is expected to have a big impact on the run-in for Cobh is Barry Coffey, the attacking midfielder brought in from Cork City last winter.

The Tipperary native netted his 24th goal of the season as part of a hat-trick last week against Finn Harps at St Colman’s Park, and that extended his lead at the top of the scoring charts in the First Division.

McDermott cannot speak enough about Coffey, and the coach hopes the midfielder is wearing a claret and blue jersey in 2026.

“24 goals from attacking midfield – he is the best midfielder in the league and you cannot deny it,” he said.

Nobody is up there with him and he can play multiple positions. 

"There is a desire and hunger there from him, along with the rest of the team, and the leadership that he has shown in the dressing room. As well as the other boys! There’s some great characters in that dressing room.

“It is coming to that time in the season when we are building for next season and I’m sure there is interest there from other leagues and other clubs. I hope we are doing everything we can here at Cobh Ramblers to keep our best players. Barry is no doubt a prime example. We need to be thinking about finishing this season strong and we also need to think about building for the future.

“They are a good crop of lads. There’s no doubt that if we build on this next year that good things will happen.” 

There is a very real possibility that Cobh will be playing Premier Division football in 2025, if they win the league or come through the play-offs.

Bray Wanderers are potential play-off opponents in October with Paul Heffernan’s side sitting third in the table. The Seagulls' problem is that they have been stuttering in recent weeks with every win followed by a defeat, a sequence that started after the club exited the FAI Cup in August.

If that pattern is anything to go by, Bray could beat Cobh as they lost to Longford Town last weekend at the Carlisle Grounds.

If McDermott’s words are anything to go by, then the people around the island will have no interest in this sequence. All that matters at St Colman’s Park is another win.