Cobh Ramblers to continue play-off push away to Finn Harps 

Cobh Ramblers are out to keep their promotion playoff push going when they face Finn Harps this evening in Donegal, kick-off 7:45 p.m.

Fran Rocket and his players will go into this game fifth in the table, and buoyant from their recent hard fought win over Treaty United at St Colman's Park.

It wasn't just about how those points were achieved. The club started well, but were unable to turn chances into goals at the break.

Then Brendeán Frahill was sent off after picking up a second yellow card. That was the moment that galvanised the side as they went on to get two quick Jordan Adeyemi goals.

The only downside to that night were the injuries as Dylan McGlade was forced off in the first half and Ethan O'Donovan left the pitch late on with an ankle injury.

But, Cobh are back in the play-off places and that is a massive platform to build from after falling out of the top six when they lost to Kerry on the Monday of the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

The Treaty result re-energised the group, and Rockett wants them to kick on as they prepare for the run-in.

“Psychologically the Treaty result was a big one - but in a weird way you kind of like the challenge,” he said.

“The little test, you see who's with you, who's not with you. When you're looking at yourself in seventh position, you're looking up at the rest of them, you know. 

"We fell off a cliff or a mountain and in the Kerry game we're looking back up. I think looking at it now, I think the challenge now is to stay in it.

“We got a feeling of what it's like outside of it, but it's important to stay in it, but there's going to be twists and turns. 

"The most important thing is now we know who we are. We're out there and showing it. There's a lot of growing up done.

“We talk about the young players, and I've given them their kudos, and I think now is the time, it's now to perform, because in another scenario you might not get the opportunities you're after getting. 

"We've been hampered by injuries and everything like that, but there has come a point where we're backing these young fellas and they're performing now.

“I think this is the new Cobh Ramblers. I'm not going to get too deep about it, but I think this is the new Cobh Ramblers. 

"We're watching at the minute that youthfulness and the intensity, and we want to kick on now, that's the most important thing."

Cobh will look to carry on against a side struggling for form and keeping everyone up at the bottom of the table with just 22 points collected this season.

Things got so bad in Donegal that it cost Kevin McHugh his job, with Harps now looking for their first league since Wexford were downed on the 3rd of July at Finn Park.

It’s spiralled in recent weeks to the point that the club has lost six consecutive games, five in the league and to Bray Wanderers in the FAI Cup.

Cobh will aim to inflict another defeat on Harps, with a regenerated squad featuring five new signings. 

Adeyemi is the most high profile after the striker scored three goals since he arrived on the Great Island, and Rockett is crediting their development to the work done by Jay Kelly Noonan in his backroom team.

“Some of the information given to the players by Jay Noonan - like he's given every single [player information],” he praised the analyst.

“They had probably had more information on Treaty than Treaty knew and the boys are soaking up every bit of information they get. 

"They are getting to understand the league, where they're at, and what they're coming up against.” 

The Ramblers will have to deal with injuries against Harps as O’Donovan and McGlade are expected to be sidelined, following the knocks they picked up against Treaty United at St. Colman’s Park.