Cobh must beat Longford away and hope Dundalk slip up at home to Finn Harps

The race for the First Division title could end this evening while Cobh Ramblers play Longford Town at Bishopsgate, kick-off 7.45pm.

Dundalk will seal automatic promotion if they defeat Finn Harps at Oriel Park, or if Mick McDermott’s side experience defeat in the midlands.

If Ciaran Kilduff and his players draw, there will be a title decider next Friday at St Colman’s Park.

The Ramblers will go into this stretch without a sense of pressure as the club has long been the chaser, instead of pack leader.

McDermott vows that his squad will do ‘everything they can’ to keep their dreams of a league title and automatic promotion alive for another week.

“They have a tough one against Finn Harps next week and I believe they have four players away on international duty,” he said.

“I said before, it is hard to stay at the mountain top. It is hard to breathe up there and let’s see. There’s two games to go for them and next week is a huge one for them. It is a big one for us and we’ll just keep going. We’ll take care of us and let the others take care of them.

“It would be brilliant to bring it down to the last game of the season. It would be brilliant for the league and the fans, for everything about this. That is what we’re hoping for and we will do everything we can.” 

As things stand, Dundalk have a four point cushion at the summit with two games to play. What complicates everything on Friday is that Finn Harps and Longford Town are fighting to get into the play-off places with time running out for both teams.

Treaty United sit in the last spot in fifth place with 42 points collected, but they have just two games left to play.

Wexford trail with 41 points, with their caused damaged by last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to UCD at Ferrycarrig Park.

Longford Town occupy 7th place with 39 points collected ahead of their meeting with Cobh Ramblers and basement side Athlone Town on the final day.

Finn Harps are in 8th with three games left to play across the next week, beginning with their trip to Dundalk. That will be followed by a bout with Kerry FC in Donegal and a trip to Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.

A lot needs to happen for either Longford or Harps to take fifth spot, but the important thing is the possibility that something might happen.

That little light is enough to embolden a group and liberate a group of players from the mundane nature of late season football.

The Ramblers are at the other end of that spectrum as McDermott’s side hold a number of cards.

They have not sit on top of the table since the early weeks of the campaign and they have trailed Dundalk by six points from the beginning of June until last week, when the league leaders drew 1-1 with Athlone Town at Lissywollen.

That evening saw Cobh Ramblers come from behind and defeat Bray Wanderers 3-1 at St Colman’s Park.

Billy O’Neill opened the scoring that night in just the 2nd minute and Cian Murphy quickly responded for the home side at the Liam McMahon Stand. The scorer turned provider for the second by setting up Barry Coffey for a simple finish, and that was the Tipperary native’s 25th goal of the season.

John O’Donovan wrapped things up in the second half after replacing Dylan McGlade, and that was his second of the season following a header against Kerry FC in the Munster Senior Cup last January at Mounthawk Park.

It was a pleasing night for all involved at St Colman’s Park, and now it’s all about wearing a Finn Harps scarf underneath a claret and blue jersey while making sure Cobh beat Longford Town.