Cobh Ramblers out to extend winning run away to Longford after midseason break 

Cobh Ramblers will look to keep their winning run going when they face Longford Town this Saturday at Bishopsgate, kick-off 7:30pm.

Fran Rockett and his players will make the journey third in the table, two points from a UCD side that sit in second place.

The Ramblers have form on their side after recording three successive league wins before the break, as they increased their hold on the play-off places by jumping from fifth to third.

This involved victories over Athlone Town, Treaty United, and Kerry, with five goals tallied during that stretch. 

Everyone contributed in some way, with Wilson Waweru and Dylan McGlade getting two each and Timothy Martin produced a number of key saves as Cobh climbed the table.

Rockett likes what he sees, and he believes more is to come from his players as they get ready for the second half of the season.

“I still think there's a lot more in this group,” he said.

“We still have boys who are injured as well, with those kind of legacy injuries as it were.

“You're probably thinking you’d like the season to go on rather than hit the break. But they deserve their break.

“The staff deserve their break. I think it's been a really productive first half of the season, if I'm being honest. 

"There's been ups and downs like any season, and you'd expect that.

“But like I said to the lads, I think the resilience and the bounce-back ability of them [is great] and I don't think we wallow too much. 

"I think the boys come back in on a Monday and they're bouncing into training.

“It seems like everyone's pulling in the same direction. And yeah, couldn't be happier with the first half.” 

It took some time for Cobh to find their feet, as they navigated a rough start to the season that saw just one win in seven games. 

The Ramblers stayed true to Rockett’s vision and this bore fruit in the spring as draws became wins and the club went from fighting to get into the play-offs to a legitimate play-off contender.

“Things take time - it took a while for them to get to know me, to know what way I am, and me to understand what way the players are,” Rockett looked back at the last six months at St. Colman’s Park.

“So look, it's only the first half of the season. We haven't done anything yet, but we're in a really positive place.” 

The Ramblers will look to keep the good times going against a Longford Town side sitting in sixth place with 22 points collected from 18 games.

Wayne Groves and his players will carry form into their meeting with Cobh after recording just one defeat in their last five games. This includes victories over Wexford and Treaty United, in addition to scored draws with Athlone Town and Finn Harps, as the club started to enter the play-off conversation.

This followed a difficult run that saw the club have to wait six game weeks for their first league win, a streak that included a 2-1 defeat to Cobh Ramblers at Bishopsgate.

Rhys Brennan opened the scoring in the 17th minute, and Callum Honohan doubled their advantage before the break. Aaron Dolan pulled one back in the second half, and Cobh had enough in the tank to get the win in the midlands.

Their second meeting of the season at St. Colman’s Park was a different sort of affair, a slow game with few clearcut chances for either team.

Oran Crowe and McGlade did have chances that night, but nothing came together in a damp stalemate on the Great Island.

The Ramblers are in a different position since then, after coming through a rough run with injuries. 

The squad is healthy now as Shane T. Griffin and Cian Coleman come back into the picture, with the only exception being Garry Buckley as the defender works his way back to full fitness.

This comes at a crucial time in the campaign, when everything is set up for a play-off push through the summer and into the autumn. 

The most important thing right now is that Cobh know their destiny is in their own hands.