Dylan McGlade fires Cobh Ramblers back on track against Athlone Town
Cobh Ramblers' Kai O'Neill controls the ball as Athlone Town's Kyle O'Connor closes in during their SSE Airtricity League Division 1 clash at St Colman's Park. Picture: David Keane.
Dylan McGlade got the only goal of the game as Cobh Ramblers got back to winning ways with a victory over Athlone Town at St Colman’s Park.
The winger hit the back of the net in the 35th minute at the Liam McMahon Stand, and that proved to be the difference between two play-off rivals under the lights.
The result does mean Cobh stay in sixth place, but they are level on points with Athlone and are two away from Wexford and Bray Wanderers.
This was done with a rotated squad from the defeat at the Carlisle Grounds, with three changes made from that 5-1 defeat. Cian Coleman, Kai O’Neill, and Rhys Kelly Noonan were all in for Mikey Carroll, Claudio Osario, and Lucas Curtin, in the tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation.
The Ramblers were aggressive, with an early attempt from Kelly Noonan stinging the palms of Andrew Stuart Trainor.
Athlone’s first attack came from a free kick won from an Oran Crowe foul in the 10th minute. Aaron Moloney stepped up to take this, and his effort came off the wall.
Gradi Lomboto followed that up in the 18th minute with a deflected strike that went just wide. The resulting corner was knocked down for Rhys Gourdie, who was able to get the ball away for Cobh at the back post.
The Ramblers pushed up in response and Athlone broke after a shot from McGlade was picked off by Lomboto, and Jason Abbott got in the way of the striker before he could really test Timothy Martin.
The goalkeeper was then called into action when Brian McManus unleashed a venomous half volley on the half-hour mark. The Luxembourg underage international stretched to deny the midfielder, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
The Ramblers soaked up the pressure before releasing O’Neill down the right wing. The teenager’s effort was scrambled off the goal line for Kelly Noonan, who used it to set up McGlade for a close-range finish in the 35th minute.
The second half began with attempts falling to McGlade and Gourdie, and neither was able to test the Athlone defence.
Anthony Adenopo could have got one, but he was denied by an onrushing Stuart Trainor. Wilson Waweru also hit the side netting, during a push for a second goal that never came to be.
Timothy Martin; Luka Le Bervet, Cian Coleman, Brendeán Frahill, Shane Griffin; Jason Abbott, Oran Crowe (Brian Lenihan 81); Kai O’Neill, Rhys Gourdie, Dylan McGlade; Rhys Kelly Noonan.
Anthony Adenopo for O’Neill (63); Lucas Curtin for Coleman (72), Shane T. Griffin for Abbott (72), Wilson Waweru for Kelly Noonan (72).
Andrew Stuart Trainor; Jonathan Kehir, Evan O’Connor, James Crawford, Kyle O’Connor; Aaron Moloney, Brian McManus; Thomas Considine, Callum Cleary, Patrick Ferry; Gradi Lomboto.
Derin Adewale for Considine (HT); Cillian Tollett for Ferry (57), Reece Webb for Kehir (77), Robert Lyons for Cleary (77).
Glen Geraghty
App?
