Cobh Ramblers promotion hopes end with draw at home against Treaty United not enough to see them advance in the play-offs

Cobh Ramblers 1 

Treaty United 1 

(Treaty United win 2-1 on aggregate)

Cobh Ramblers season came to an end in the most dramatic of ways, an extra-time draw to Treaty United in the First Division Play-Off semi-finals on Tuesday night.

Having lost the opening leg away from home on Friday night last one nil, Treaty advance to the final of the play-offs where they will face Bray.

It was a night that promised so much, and this feeling inside the ground was taken to a new level when Matthew Whelan scored an equaliser in the dying seconds of four minutes added on.

The original headline had to be rewritten, only to be rejigged and put back in once Eoin Martin hit the back of the net.

That was it, just as the rain came down.

A season that saw a flirt with automatic promotion during a battle against administration came to an end, with the only reward being the Munster Senior Cup.

There will be plenty of time to dwell, and look back on a night that began with Cobh looking to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit following the first leg in Limerick.

Richie Holland and his coaching staff made just one change from that game with Harvey Cribb replacing Rhys Gourdie in the middle of the park.

The shaped remained the same, a 4-2-3-1 formation that had Cian Murphy working alongside Dylan McGlade and Cian Bargary on the wings. Barry Coffey was in the pocket, on the back of a season that saw the midfielder score 26 goals in 35 games for Cobh.

Despite the intent, Treaty attacked first with a free-kick from Lee Lynch that was harmlessly knocked away by Cian Coleman.

Karl O’Sullivan also tried his luck with a right footed strike and that was pushed away by Timothy Martin.

Murphy got Cobh’s night underway by throwing his right leg at the ball at the near post, before seeing his effort stopped by Corey Chambers with a diving save.

Iestyn Hughes was the next player to attempt something, after a neat one two on the right wing, and his cross into the box was fluffed by Coffey on the penalty spot on the 21st minute.

Cobh then had to change their defence as John O’Donovan had to brought on for Coleman. The centre back went in on the left, with Shane Griffin going into the back four to partner with Jonas Hakkinen in a new look set-up.

The second half saw a renewed push by Cobh, which included a blistering strike by Niall O’Keeffe in the 61st minute.

All this did was rack up the tension, while the home side went to their bench once again in search of answers.

Samuel Bellis’ introduction marked a major shift as Cobh went to a 3-4-3 formation that had a back-line consisting of Griffin, Hakkinen, and O’Donovan.

That turned into a 4-4-2 in the 73rd minute following the introduction of Matthew Whelan, who took the place of Bargary.

They poked and probed, and nothing seemed to come up as Treaty started to find room to run into at the other end.

With 90-seconds left, a long ball was put into the box. Shane Griffin was stationed up top, which allowed the left back to knock the ball on for Whelan. 

The striker wrestled his way into the smallest of avenues before squeezing a shot in.

The rush was followed by the comedown, and that was Eoin Martin firing in after a Treaty caught Cobh out in transition.

Cobh Ramblers: Timothy Martin; Iestyn Hughes, Cian Coleman, Jonas Hakkinen, Shane Griffin, Niall O’Keeffe, Harvey Cribb, Cian Bargary, Barry Coffey, Dylan McGlade, Cian Murphy.

Subs: John O’Donovan for Coleman (37); Rhys Gourdie for Cribb (HT), Samuel Bellis for Hughes (63), Matthew Whelan for Bargary (72), Shane Griffin for O’Keeffe (73), Nolan Evers for Griffin (98).

Treaty United: Corey Chambers; Richkov Boevi, Benjamin Lynch, Eoin Martin, Evan O’Connor, Karl O’Sullivan, Mark Byrne, Colin Conroy, Lee Devitt, Lee Lynch, Joseph Hanson.

Subs: Fionn Doherty for Hanson (70); Ben Lee for Lee Lynch (77), Steven Healy for Conroy (98).

Referee: Oliver Moran.