Cobh Ramblers up to fourth after beating Finn Harps on the road

Finn Harps 1 Cobh Ramblers 3 

Cobh Ramblers continued their play-off push with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Finn Harps in Donegal on Friday night.

Fran Rockett and his players responded to the longest journey in League of Ireland football with goals from Dara McCormick, Rhys Gourdie and Anthony Adenopo moving them up to fourth in the table.

“It was great – I could not be more prouder of the group,” the coach told the club’s media team, led by Sean Byrne.

“To the letter; for the last two weeks, the application, desire, and togetherness. We’re after clicking and we have players coming back from injury and adding to it.

“I thought our first half performance was as good as any team in the league has played this season. The second half was a different game. It can be a psychological battle as well. There is a tough battle there, a hill. They threw the kitchen sink and we showed the other side of us.

“We were able to hang in there. We had opportunities there. In fairness to Patrick McEleney, he is coming into the job and he is trying to build. They played in the second half. I could not be prouder of our lads if you look at the performance.

“It’s hard to mention one, but you had lads who were out injured for months like Callum [Honohan] and Cian Coleman and they delivered mega performances.” 

Ramblers were forced to rotate in Donegal as Brian Lenihan and Dylan McGlade were sidelined through injury and Brendeán Frahill was suspended after being sent off last time out against Treaty United at St Colman’s Park.

Rockett reshuffled by handing McCormick his first start in the League of Ireland First Division. Coleman played his first game in Claret and Blue since a defeat to Cork City at the beginning of July and Honohan also featured after his loan deal with Shamrock Rovers was extended.

This group was sent out to take points off a Harps side that have not beaten a team since the beginning of July.

Cobh needed just four minutes to take the lead, with McCormick hitting the back of the net.

Gourdie made it 2-0 with a stunning strike from the edge of the area that was fumbled in by Corey Sheridan in the 9th minute.

It was a perfect start and things were made better on the half-hour mark when Gourdie pressed up and won the ball for Jonas Stjernberg. The striker set up Adenopo for a shot that snuck in at the near post, to make it 3-0 on the half hour mark.

The home side tried to turn things around in the second half, and their cause was helped by a penalty put away by Shaunie Bradley in the 49th minute.

Cobh held firm during the remainder of the game, with their defence led by Honohan and Coleman during these exchanges, as they jumped up to fourth place.

FINN HARPS: Corey Sheridan; Darragh Doyle, Josh Cullen, Oran Brogan, Tory Preston; Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro; Aaron McLaughlin, Ciaran Harkin, Finn McKenlay, Gavin McAteer, Shaunie Bradley.

Subs: Tony McNamee for Dos Santos Monteiro (HT); James McAteer for Preston (68), Guilherme Rego Priosti for Bradley (74), Lukas Doherty for McKenlay (74), Adam McDaid for McLaughlin (83).

COBH: Timothy Martin; Callum Honohan, Cian Coleman, Lucas Curtin, Lucas Le Bervet; Shane Griffin, Dara McCormick; Jordan Adeyemi, Rhys Gourdie, Anthony Adenopo, Jonas Stjernberg.

Subs: Alan Zborowsi for Curtin (59); Rhys Kelly Noonan for Stjernberg (66), Oran Crowe for McCormick (83) Kai O’Neill for Adenopo (83).

Referee: Damien McGrath