Cobh Ramblers must beat Treay on final day to have any hope of making play-offs
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Rhys Gourdie of Cobh Ramblers in action against Sean Moore of Longford Town recently. Picture: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
After 10 months and 35 games, Cobh Ramblers’ season comes down to tonight’s meeting with Treaty United at the Markets Field (kick-off 7.45pm).
Fran Rockett and his players have to win and hope other results go their way if they are to sneak into the play-offs on the final day.
Cobh will make the journey to Limerick stunned after going down to Kerry last week at St Colman’s Park, a loss that propelled Colin Healy’s side up to fourth.
Longford Town getting a point from their game with UCD threw another spanner into the works, as it puts Wayne Grove’s side into fifth place on goal difference. They face Athlone Town this evening, another team that could get into the play-offs with a win.
As things stand, only Bray Wanderers and UCD are safely finishing in the top five. Kerry are in fourth with 51 points, Longford are in fifth on 49 points, Cobh sit in sixth with 49 points, and Athlone are in seventh with 48 points.
Goal difference could play a factor which would be detrimental to the Ramblers as they are -6 at this stage of the season.
All Cobh can do is focus on themselves as they look to get the better of a Treaty United side preparing to play their final ever game before a well-publicised amalgamation with Limerick FC.
The Ramblers know what they need to do. They can only focus on themselves, while hoping things go their way in the other games. This was firmly on Rockett’s mind earlier in the week as he previewed the tip to the Markets Field.
“We had a good meeting with the staff before [the Kerry game],” he said.
“We know what is needed this week and the players know what is needed.
“It’s going to be an interesting week ahead of us. We’re playing for big stakes now and that performance against Kerry wasn’t us.
“We know what we need to do. We have to go up there all guns blazing next week.”
Ramblers would have secured the play-offs last week if they beat Kerry on home soil. Instead, they were downed 2-0 with the goals from Cian Bargary and Cian Brosnan coming in a first half when nothing went Cobh’s way.
The team arrived into the tie fresh from a 4-1 hammering of Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds, a night that could not have gone any better for Rockett and his players.
They were brought back down to earth by a deflected Bargary strike and a mistake by Timothy Martin that presented Brosnan with a small opening in front of the posts at the Liam McMahon Stand.
The Ramblers tried to muster a comeback – the kind of one that saw them overturn a two goal deficit against Athlone Town and rescue a point in their last home game.
Rockett brought on Dara McCormick, Callum Honohan, and Jonas Stjernberg in a bid to muster a turnaround, but nothing troubled goalkeeper Matthew Connor.
The Ramblers now need a response. Otherwise a season that saw a sustained play-off push in the autumn with victories over Cork City and Bray Wanderers will end with nothing.
There is a chance there to secure a top-five finish for the third time in four seasons, and to state the club’s intentions of turning into a consistent challenger after years of false starts and battles to avoid the basement.
The need to get something against an unpredictable Treaty United side, the club that beat them in last year’s promotion play-off semi-finals. Tommy Barrett’s team know how to cause an upset.
They defeated Athlone Town last week at Lissywollen, during a run in that has already seen victories over Finn Harps and Longford Town.
Cobh know what Treaty can do, the defeat in the play-offs last October is still an open wound on the Great Island. They also know what they have to do this year. Their season depends on it.
App?
