Cobh Ramblers fall to 'really, really disappointing' loss away to Athlone Town

Athlone Town 2 Cobh Ramblers 0 

Fran Rockett says Cobh Ramblers’ defeat to Athlone Town was certainly a ‘game of two halves’ after his side went down at Lissywollen.

Things started brightly with a number of chances falling to the Rams as they chased a fast start. It looked like their reward was a penalty from a Kyle O’Connor handball, but Rhys Gourdie was off target.

It was scoreless at the break and the game restarted with goals from Patrick Ferry and Aaron Connolly that proved to be decisive.

“A complete game of two halves if there ever was one,” said Rockett.

“I think everything we did during the week came to the fore during the first half with the three chances, and I say the penalty with the three chances. 

"We had a header that goes wide of the post, and then we have another chance where we're bearing down on top of goal, and we do our best nearly to miss it. We've got to be more clinical, and that is with the missed penalty, but we should have been well away before the penalty.

“But I thought everything in the first half was as good as what we played all season, it was definitely the best we played all season.

“And we go into halftime and we are talking about the psychological side of it, it's not about the technical, the tactical, anything like that. The second half has to be approached with a psychological mindset, in terms of making sure that we're in a position to see the storm out that they're going to come at us with and we just gave away two really poor goals.

“It was really, really disappointing. One from a corner, and another mistake from open play, where we are in control, and we've numbers up against them. Somehow, they managed to get the ball into the net. It was a disappointing one.” 

 Rockett isn’t dwelling on what happened, he knows his team are capable of getting results and moving up the table.

“But, you know, you can't feel sorry for yourself in this league,” he said.

“I think we’re a point away from fifth and we are five away from second and third, so you look at it and you say to yourself, on the basis of the first half things are going in the right direction.

“We need to have more of a clinical nature in front of goal and the resilience in the other box that we can keep it out.” 

ATHLONE TOWN: Andrew Stuart Trainor; Reece Webb, Kyle O’Connor, Oisin Hand, Evan O’Connor; Aaron Moloney, Derinsola Adewale, Aaron Connolly, Patrick Ferry; Brian McManus, Cillian Tollett.

Subs: Peter Grogan for Tollett (63); William Smith for Ferry (88).

COBH RAMBLERS: Timothy Martin; Mikey Carroll, Garry Buckley, Cian Coleman, Shane Griffin; Jason Abbott, Oran Crowe; Lucas Curtin, Rhys Brennan, Rhys Gourdie; Wilson Waweru.

Subs: Dylan McGlade for Gourdie (83); Rhys Kelly Noonan for Waweru (86).

Referee: Mark Houlihan