Cobh Ramblers pegged back late on by UCD in play-off push

Cobh Ramblers 1 UCD 1 

Cobh Ramblers' play-off push will go right to the wire with seven teams fighting to take four spots at the end of the season.

Fran Rockett and his players boosted their hopes of finishing in the top five on Friday by drawing with UCD at St Colman’s Park, a result that can be seen as two points dropped over the dramatic equaliser scored by the visitors in the dying seconds.

Goodness Ogbonna was there on that occasion to drive the ball in and rescue a point for his side, and cancel out a game that looked to be decided by Oran Crowe from close range in the 71st minute.

The result makes it four unbeaten for Cobh – a run of results that includes victories over Treaty United and Finn Harps, in addition to a draw with Longford Town at St Colman’s Park.

This has helped the club keep up with the pace-setting second-place UCD. Ramblers are in a race alongside Bray Wanderers, Longford, Athlone, Kerry, and Wexford, with Treaty United still in the mix too.

Next up for Cobh is a derby date with Cork City at the Munster FA Turner’s Cross Stadium, after Barry Robson's side clinched the First Division title and promotion against Bray at the Carlisle Grounds.

Cobh warmed up by facing UCD, who needed to win in order to keep the race for the league title going for another week.

The Ramblers took control early on by pressing high and being aggressive out of possession. This led to a succession of turnovers in the final third and three corners inside the first 15 minutes, but nothing threatened UCD.

Cian Coleman eventually went long and the ball was knocked on for an onrushing Anthony Adenopo. The winger couldn’t connect and the best chance of the half rolled away.

It was scoreless at the break and the game restarted with Rhys Gourdie going down and winning a free-kick. Jordan Adeyemi stepped up and rattled the crossbar with a stunning strike on that occasion in the 53rd minute.

The Ramblers kept going, targeting the right flank where Adenopo did all the running. The winger went close to setting up a goal on a number of occasions but no one was there each time after he did the hard work.

The deadlock was eventually broken with a Crowe shot that cannoned off the crossbar and went back to the midfielder for a routine finish in front of the posts in the 71st minute.

The Students poured forward in search of an equaliser and eventually started going long. It took just one opening for Ogbonna to get in and poke the ball beyond Timoty Martin at the Liam McMahon Stand. It was so late, there was no time for a restart.

COBH: Timothy Martin; Luka Le Bervet, Cian Coleman, Ronan Mansfield, Callum Honohan; Oran Crowe, Dara McCormick; Jordan Adeyemi, Rhys Gourdie, Anthony Adenopo; Jonas Stjernberg.

Subs: Rhys Kelly Noonan for Stjernberg (75); Brendean Frahill for Honohan (90); Mikey Carroll for McCormick (90).

UCD: Noah Douglas; Sean Murphy, Carl Lennox, Adam Wells, Luca Cailloce; Louis Dignam, Jayden Goad; Michael McCullagh, Stephen Mohan, Eoin Sheeran; Charles Akinrintayo.

Subs: Hugh Smith for Mohan (56); Geordy Lavin for Goad (68), Sam Norval for Dignam (82), Goodness Ogbonna for McCullagh (82).

Referee: Alan Patchell