Cobh Ramblers boss Fran Rockett thrilled with vital victory over Treaty United

Cobh Ramblers 2 Treaty United 0

“It’s what we wanted as a reaction,” says Fran Rockett after Cobh Ramblers defeat Treaty Cobh Ramblers manager Fran Rockett praised his side’s reaction for ending a difficult week by defeating Treaty United at St Colman’s Park on Friday night.

The club went into the game reeling from a heavy loss to Kerry, and they responded with a near perfect performance that included two goals in a minute from Jordan Adeyemi.

This was done with 10 men after Breandán Frahill was sent off after receiving a second yellow card midway through the second half.

“Top performance and reaction – it’s what we wanted as a reaction after the Kerry game,” Rockett said.

“But we knew we weren't a million miles away from that because only a few days previous we played Wexford, and I thought we dominated that game. 

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"I think against Treaty, in terms of the characteristics and way the players performed after going down to ten men, I suppose with ten men we were still controlling it.

“It was probably one of the best performances I've had since I've been at Cobh and credit to the players. 

"They’ve probably had a lot going on in our minds the last few days, where were we, who were we?

“We know we can play, it's just marrying it with the aggressiveness and the intensity that we know we have in us. That was definitely one of the best performances of the season for us.” 

What made this even better for Rockett was the team out there as it included a back four of academy graduates, with Frahill the most experienced.

Their night was torn apart late in the game after their leader was sent off over a second yellow card incurred on a challenge on Cian Curtis. Teenager Brian Linehan was then forced off with an injury, meaning the team had to see out the rest of the game with nine players out on the pitch.

The Ramblers buckled down to take the three points, with a backline assisted by another local from the island, striker Kai O’Neill. Cobh ground out the win and the result moves them up to fifth in the First Division table.

“You look at a lot of the performances - the likes of Lucas Curtin and Brian Linehan,” Rockett said.

“These young boys who are coming into the team, and even Dara McCormick coming off the bench there. These are young lads and they're getting an opportunity. 

"They're young, vibrant, ready to take in the information and they're bringing and giving energy to the crowd.

“I felt as though there was a transactional feel to it against Treaty with the crowd. 

"You could hear them egging on the boys and they were the 11th man when we needed them toward the end of the game. 

"Things could have been a lot different. You're going down to ten men and if they take the initiative after Breandán Frahill got sent off, which in fairness to the referee, he admitted it wasn't a sending off, but it could have gone a lot differently.” 

Cobh Ramblers: Timothy Martin; Brian Linehan, Breandán Frahill, Lucas Curtin, Luka Le Bervet; Shane Griffin, Rhys Gourdie; Jordan Adeyemi, Dylan McGlade, Anthony Adenopo, Jonas Sternberg.

Subs: Dara McCormick for McGlade (35); Callum Honohan for Sternberg (59), Rhys Kelly Noonan for Adeyemi (82).

Treaty United: Jack Brady; Ben Lynch, Kyle Foley, Killian Cantwell, Robbie Lynch; Colin Conroy, Mark Murphy, Colm Whelan, Mark Byrne, Cian Curtin; Fuhad Kareem.

Subs: Ben Feeney for Conroy (HT); Jason Folarin Oyenuga for Kareem (HT), Eric Yoro for Byrne (HT), Ronan Manning for Whelan (63), Subs: Declan Toland.