Cobh Ramblers playoff push back on track with dominant display in Bray
Cobh Ramblers' Cian Coleman heads clear under pressure from Athlone Town's Gradi Lomboto earlier this season. Picture: David Keane.
Cobh Ramblers produced their best performance of the season to defeat Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds and keep their play-off dream in their own hands.
Fran Rockett’s side burst out of the traps and led 3-0 at the break through goals from Rhys Gourdie, Cian Coleman and Jordan Adeyemi. Jonas Stjernberg rubber-stamped the win during the second half.
The club is now back up to fourth after slipping down to fifth with the draw against Athlone Town last week. They hold the cards ahead of the final two games of the season against Kerry at St Colman’s Park and Treaty United at the Markets Field.
The play-offs are now within touching distance, as opposed to needing other results to go their way.
The Ramblers aren’t out of the woods yet as just four points separate fourth and seventh, with Kerry in sixth coming to the Great Island next weekend. That could be the defining fixture in this convoluted play-off picture, with another key game being the derby between Longford Town and Athlone Town on the final day.
Right now, Cobh are in control and are buoyant after their best away performance of the season. This was done against a Bray side that had hammered them 5-1 earlier in the season at the Carlisle Grounds and came from behind to get a win at St. Colman’s Park during the summer.
Those results were recorded by a free-scoring Seagulls side that went into Friday on a three-game winning streak, which included a victory over high-flying UCD at Belfield.
The Ramblers were just out to get a result, instead of a revenge mission. What played out was an almost perfect performance, beginning with Gourdie’s scoring from the edge of the box in the 4th minute Cobh doubled their advantage in the 16th minute from a Shane Griffin free-kick that was knocked down by Ronan Manfield for Coleman to turn in.
The holding midfielder got another assist in the 40th minute by sending in a cross for Adeyemi to knock beyond Rian Hogan.
It was fast and endemic of a Cobh side that have recorded just one defeat across their last eight games.
Paul Heffernan and his management team reacted to the deficit by making three changes at the interval with Bailey Shelley, Ryan Kelly, and Ifunanyachi Achara replacing Tyreik Sammy, Ajibola Oluwabiyi, and John Sesay.
There was a newfound sense of urgency in their play with the substitutions, and things came together when Achara was fouled by Luka Le Bervet for a penalty in the 63rd minute. Ben McCormack made no mistake from the spot, to record his fourth goal his season against Cobh Ramblers.
Instead of being the start of something, Rockett’s side were able to hold Bray at arm’s length as the clock ticked towards full time.
They needed one moment to kill the tie and make sure of the win. It was set up by McCormack and put away by Stjernberg in the 81st minute.
Rian Hogan; Alain Kizenga, Declan Osagie, Dean O’Shea, Jamie Duggan; Ajibola Oluwabiyi, Ben McCormack, John Sesay, Ethan Cheese, Tyreik Sammy; Endri Mustali.
Bailey Shelley for Sammy (HT); Ryan Kelly for Oluwabiyi (HT), Ifunanyachi Achara for Sesay (HT), Conor Knight for Kizenga (77), Aime Nyembo Azende for O’Shea (77).
Timothy Martin; Brian Lenihan, Brendeán Frahill, Cian Coleman, Luka Le Berevet; Ronan Mansfield, Oran Crowe; Shane Griffin, Rhys Gourdie, Dylan McGlade, Jordan Adeyemi.
Dara McCormick for McGlade (67); Jonas Stjernberg for Crowe (76).
Declan Toland
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