First-ever Turner's Cross league win for Cobh Ramblers as Cork City stumble at home
Joshua Fitzpatrick, Cork City, tries to get past Rhys Brennan, Cobh Ramblers during their Men's First Division clash at Turners Cross Stadium.
Cork City's unbeaten home run is over. Cobh Ramblers have their first ever First Division win at Turner's Cross. And the league leaders have dropped points at home for the first time this year.
Fortuitous? A touch. But the Ramblers' defensive efforts were utterly exceptional, and Cork City were far, far too wasteful in front of 4,710.
City had dominated the first half. They had been better for much of the second.
And then, in the 74th minute, Rhys Brennan had a shot saved by Brann, who parried it, and on its way back into the fray it struck Fiacre Kelleher’s arm, and referee Oliver Moran pointed to the spot. City protested profusely, but to no avail.
Dylan McGlade stepped up to take the spot kick. The sea of support in the Shed End watching over Brann did all they could do to put off the former City winger, but there would be no error here.
McGlade slotted it cleanly into the bottom corner. His celebrations after did little to cool the fury in the Shed. A minute later Ruairí Keating set up Seani Maguire, and he went to ground inside the box.
No penalty; further jeers from the home crowd.
And then, that same combination, but with Maguire passing to Keating saw the hosts finally hit the net, but the offside flag was raised. Maguire would come close with two headed chances, another City penalty shout would be waved away. But there would be no equaliser for City this time.
"It's down to us why we lost the game. It was nothing to do with the opposition," City manager Barry Robson said afterwards. "We were playing with a front seven, trying to win the game. That's down to us and nothing too much to do with the opposition.
"I think we've scored 20 goals in the league this season. We should be sitting on a lot more. We just have to keep working at that and making sure that we keep the back door shut."
For the first 25 minutes the hosts were all over the Rams. Their first real chance came from a Bolger header that Maguire had saved by Timo Martin, before Maguire then squared one for Keating whose close-range effort was stopped by the Luxembourgish goalkeeper in the 17th minute.
Merely four minutes later, City looked to have found the breakthrough; Bolger again teed up Maguire, and he pulled off a clever finish to lob Martin, but Garry Buckley got back to clear it off the line and prevent a certain goal.
They were in again when Josh Fitzpatrick played a one-two with Hans Mpongo minutes later, but Fitzpatrick’s strike was too high. Keating had a similar chance from almost the same angle fly over the bar just before the break, as Cobh survived the early onslaught.
"I thought we started the game, the first 30 minutes, probably as well as we started any game," Robson said. "I thought the goalkeeper had an unbelievable night, he had some saves. I think what was our biggest downfall was the chances we missed again. That's down to ourselves and that's what we need to be better at. By the way, that's not just our strikers or our wide players."
Mpongo slipped through after a terrific over the top through ball from Bolger in the 56th minute, but he couldn’t control it in time to get a clean shot away.
Mpongo’s replacement, Matthew Murray, tested Martin in the 70th minute, but the Cobh shot stopper – exceptional all evening – got down to it.
And things rapidly turned against Cork City.
Brann; Nevin, Lyons, Kelleher; Fitzpatrick, Bolger (Bridge 75), Crowley, Drinan; Mpongo (Murray 56), Maguire; Keating.
Martin; Frahill, Griffin, Buckley, Le Bervet; Carroll, Crowe (Abbott 79); Adenopo (Curtin 71), Gourdie, Brennan (Kelly-Nolan 87); McGlade.
O Moran (Dublin)
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