REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 18: Cobh Ramblers 2-0 Kerry FC
Kerry FC travelled to St. Colman’s Park on Friday evening as they hit the midway point of the season with an away trip to Cobh Ramblers. It was the final game before the Summer break, so this Munster Derby had that extra bit of bite to it.
For Kerry FC, they came into the game after securing five games unbeaten at home last week with a late draw at home to Bray Wanderers. Two Matthew Britton goals in the final half an hour clawed back the two-goal deficit for Colin Healy’s men.
For Cobh Ramblers, they won 2-1 away to Treaty United last Friday in Limerick and come into the game looking to win their third game in a row. The Ramblers sat in the playoff places before the game on Friday evening, results around the grounds meant the possibility of them finishing the weekend in second position behind Cork City.
It was superb weather for a Munster Derby in Cobh with the many travelling fans in attendance hoping they could start the Bank Holiday Weekend on the right note.
FIRST HALF
The home side made a fast start and took the lead in the third minute through Rhys Gourdie. A pass played through the Kerry defence allowed Gourdie time and space inside the area, and he calmly picked his spot before finishing beyond Matthew Connor to put Cobh Ramblers ahead.
Cobh continued to threaten in the opening exchanges, and Shane Griffin saw an effort from outside the area flash wide of the right-hand post in the eighth minute.
Kerry’s evening became more difficult in the sixteenth minute when Ryan Kelliher was forced off through injury and replaced by Eric Koufie. The visitors attempted to respond and created an opening in the nineteenth minute when Niall Brookwell met a free kick delivered from the right, but his header went straight into the hands of Timothy Martin.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the thirtieth minute through Wilson Waweru. Cobh once again found space inside the penalty area and, although Matthew Connor produced an initial save, Waweru reacted quickest to finish the rebound and extend the lead.
Kerry struggled to create clear-cut opportunities during the remainder of the opening half, while Cobh continued to look dangerous in attack. Gourdie saw a shot blocked by Niall Brookwell in the thirty-sixth minute before Connor gathered comfortably.
Connor was called into action again in the fortieth minute, producing an excellent save with his feet to deny Waweru from close range after the striker found space inside the box. The Kerry goalkeeper followed that up with another superb stop four minutes later, this time keeping out former Kerry player Oran Crowe from distance to prevent the deficit from increasing further before the interval. Kerry FC went into the break trailing 2-0 at St. Colman’s Park.
SECOND HALF
Kerry FC emerged for the second half with renewed energy and looked more threatening in possession. Sean McGrath was shown a yellow card shortly after the restart before the visitors produced one of their better attacking moments in the forty-eighth minute.
From a goal kick, Cian Murphy helped the ball into the path of Cian Bargary, whose snapshot drifted narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
Murphy was also booked in the fifty-fifth minute as the contest became increasingly physical. Kerry looked to freshen things up in the sixty-first minute when Cian Brosnan replaced Kilian Cantwell, and Daniel Okwute came on for Matthew Britton.
The appearance marked a significant milestone for Brosnan, who made his 100th appearance for Kerry FC, while Okwute returned after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Kerry nearly found a route back into the game in the sixty-sixth minute. A Sean O’Connell corner was headed across goal by Brosnan into the path of Eric Koufie, but his effort lacked power, and Timothy Martin gathered comfortably.
Ryan Perez replaced Cian Bargary in the seventy-third minute as Kerry continued to push forward in search of a breakthrough. Daniel Okwute then came close in the seventy-ninth minute when his shot inside the area was deflected behind for a corner. The resulting delivery caused a scramble inside the penalty area before Koufie eventually managed to get a shot away, only for Martin to hold firm once again.
Cobh collected further yellow cards during the closing stages, with Oran Crowe, Mikey Carroll, and Timothy Martin all entering the referee’s notebook as Kerry continued to apply pressure.
The visitors came agonisingly close to finding a late consolation in the ninetieth minute when Niall Brookwell rose highest to meet a cross, only to see his header strike the crossbar.
Despite an improved second-half display and strong travelling support in Cobh, Kerry FC were unable to find a way back into the contest as the home side claimed all three points.
Kerry FC now go into the Summer break nine points off the playoffs. They must now dust themselves off and recharge for the second half of the 2026 season, with a lot to play for and the FAI Cup also to come.
Cobh Ramblers Team: Timothy Martin; Brendan Frahill, Shane Griffin (C), Wilson Waweru (GOAL ‘31), Rhys Gourdie (GOAL ‘3), Dylan McGlade, Rhys Brennan, Lucas Curtin, Oran Crowe, Luka Le Bervet, Jason Abbott.
Subs Used: Rhys Kelly-Noonan, Ethan O’Donovan, Mikey Carroll, Shane Griffin.
Kerry FC Team: Matthew Connor; Sean O’Connell, Kilian Cantwell (C), Sean McGrath, Ryan Kelliher, Cian Murphy, Samuel Aladesanusi, Matthew Britton, Niall Brookwell, Ewan Lee, Cian Bargary.
Subs Used: Eric Koufie, Daniel Okwute, Cian Brosnan, Ryan Perez.