UCD defeat Cobh Ramblers at St Colman's Park to go top of First Divsion
Cobh Ramblers' Anthony Adenopo and UCD's Carl Lennox tussle in the air. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
UCD came from behind to defeat Cobh Ramblers at St Colman’s Park and go top of the league.
The Students trailed at the break through a close-range Rhys Brennan strike, and Will O’Connor’s side turned things around with Ciaran Behan scoring and Breandán Frahill hitting the back of his own net.
Fran Rockett made two changes to the group that beat Cork City on Friday at the Munster FA Turner’s Cross Stadium, with Lucas Curtin and Jason Abbott in for suspended duo Mikey Carroll and Shane Griffin. The same 4-2-3-1 formation was retained for a meeting with a UCD on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run.
The Ramblers had the better of the chances in the first half, beginning with Dylan McGlade working with Rhys Gourdie to set up Oran Crowe for a blistering strike that was stopped by a diving Dara Kavanagh in the 14th minute.
The Students broke from the resulting corner, only to see a promising move hit wide by Charles Akinrintayo.
The Ramblers picked themselves up and freed up Curtin for a cross to Brennan that was headed on. Kavanagh immediately reacted by clawing the ball away at the top corner at the Liam McMahon Stand, and the home side immediately retreated.
The following passage of play saw a free-kick awarded to UCD and a curling effort by Behan roll just wide at the back post.
Cobh continued to cause problems, with an Abbott free almost turned in by Garry Buckley at one stage, and the overriding feeling was that something was coming in the closing minutes of the first half.
It arrived from a long throw that Frahill was able to knock on for Brennan to turn in, and the home side took the lead in the 42nd minute.
The Students equalised shortly after the restart, through Behan taking advantage of a Buckley mistake inside the area.
The defender was then forced off with an injury, and replaced by Callum Honohan in the 53rd minute. The Carrigaline native marked his arrival with a hasty clearance as UCD chased a second goal in quick succession, before kicking the ball away as the visitors closed down.
Behan tried his luck during the period with a right-legged strike, and forced Timothy Martin into a diving save at the near post.
They were in total control at this stage, while Cobh soaked up the pressure by sitting back. When Ramblers did get forward, their problem was the space behind that UCD were able to run into.
The Students took full advantage of this in the 73rd minute as a quick counter ended with a squared pass being turned in by Frahill.
Kai O’Neill and Rhys Kelly Noonan were brought on in a push for an equaliser that included Honohan hurling the ball wide at the back post.
That was as good as it got, as UCD were able to hang on and take the three points.
Timothy Martin; Lucas Curtin, Breandán Frahill, Garry Buckley, Luka Le Bervet; Jason Abbott, Oran Crowe; Anthony Adenopo, Rhys Gourdie, Dylan McGlade, Rhys Brennan.
Callum Honohan for Buckley (53); Kai O’Neill for Adenopo (63), Rhys Kelly Noonan for Abbott (84).
Dara Kavanagh; Luca Cailloce, Carl Lennox, Niall Holohan, Luke O’Regan; Adam Wells, Thomas Morely; Charles Akinrintayo, Ciaran Behan, Michael McCullagh, Hugh Smith.
Louis Dignam for O’Regan (67); Michael Ragett for McCullagh (78), Killian Cailloce for Smith (78).
John Sconnie Walsh
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