REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 8: Kerry FC 1-2 Cobh Ramblers
On Friday evening, Kerry FC were once again back in League of Ireland action in the Kingdom as they took on Cobh Ramblers in Mounthawk Park. It was the first of two Munster Derbies over a jam-packed Easter Bank Holiday Weekend before they set off on a short hour trip to take on Cork City on Monday evening.
Kerry FC came into this one needing to shrug off the devastating late loss away to Bray Wanderers last week in the Carlisle Grounds and knew that the right place to do it was at home in front of the Mounthawk faithful. The loss on Friday night was Kerry FC’s first loss in five weeks and was a tough one to take, especially taking the lead so early on through Niall Brookwell.
For Cobh Ramblers, similar to the hosts, they have only won one game this season, coming in the second week away to Longford Town. They would have wanted to pick up the points on the night so they could make another strong promotion case as they did last year.
FIRST HALF
The game began with Kerry FC looking to assert themselves early after kick-off, showing intent in the opening exchanges. In the fifth minute, Sean O’Connell delivered a free kick from a dangerous position, but it was deflected out for a corner before it could trouble the goalkeeper.
From the resulting set piece, Kerry continued to apply pressure. In the ninth minute, a well-worked move saw Arran Healy deliver a dangerous ball into the area. However, it just evaded Cian Bargary, who could only head over as he stretched to make contact.
Cobh Ramblers responded in the eleventh minute when Rhys Kelly-Noonan rose to meet a cross, but his header drifted well wide of the left-hand post, offering little threat to Harry Halwax.
Kerry remained lively in attack, and in the eighteenth minute, Cian Bargary attempted an effort from a tight angle. However, his shot was comfortably saved by Timothy Martin. As the half progressed, Kerry continued to probe, and in the twenty-fifth minute, Bargary again was involved, sending a good ball into the area, though it was just beyond the reach of his teammates.
The contest developed into a tight and physical battle, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. By the thirty-seventh minute, neither side had managed to break the deadlock, reflecting the evenly contested nature of the game.
The breakthrough came late in the half. In the forty-third minute, Cobh Ramblers were awarded a penalty after Sean O’Connell was adjudged to have tripped an attacker inside the area. Dylan McGlade stepped up in the forty-fourth minute and calmly converted the spot kick, placing the ball into the bottom left corner to give the visitors the lead.
Kerry went into the break trailing by a single goal, having competed well but lacking a decisive edge in the final third.
SECOND HALF
Kerry made changes at half-time, with Ryan Kelliher and Brandon Bermingham introduced in place of Eric Koufie and Sean McGrath, as they looked to inject fresh energy into their performance.
However, the second half began in the worst possible fashion for the home side. In the forty-seventh minute, Dylan McGlade struck again. Finding a pocket of space inside the penalty area, he unleashed a powerful effort that flew into the back of the net, doubling Cobh Ramblers’ advantage.
Kerry attempted to respond, but Cobh continued to threaten. In the fifty-seventh minute, Lucas Curtin forced a strong save from Harry Halwax, ensuring the deficit remained at two goals.
Moments later, in the sixtieth minute, Kerry created a promising opportunity when Cian Murphy showed good control inside the area to carve out a shooting chance. However, his effort was saved comfortably by Timothy Martin.
Further substitutions followed in the sixty-second minute, with Cian Brosnan and Ewan Lee replacing Sean O’Connell and Kilian Cantwell as Kerry pushed for a way back into the game.
Their persistence paid off in the sixty-third minute. Cian Bargary cut in from the right-hand side and struck an effort with his left foot. A significant deflection off Brendan Frahill wrong-footed the goalkeeper and carried the ball over the line, reducing the deficit and reigniting hope for the home side.
Kerry continued to press forward in search of an equaliser. In the seventy-fifth minute, Luke Palmer replaced Cian Murphy to add further attacking impetus. The game grew increasingly tense, with Mikey Carroll receiving a yellow card in the seventy-sixth minute, followed by former Kerry FC player Oran Crowe entering the referee’s book in the seventy-ninth minute.
Chances began to come more frequently for Kerry. In the seventy-seventh minute, Vince Borden rose highest to meet a free kick, but his header was saved comfortably by Timothy Martin.
As the match entered its closing stages, Kerry intensified their efforts. By the eighty-fifth minute, they were pushing hard but struggling to create a clear opening against a resolute Cobh defence.
A crucial moment arrived in the eighty-sixth minute when Timothy Martin produced a remarkable double save. He first denied a powerful header from Vince Borden before quickly reacting to stop Ryan Kelliher’s close-range follow-up, preserving his side’s lead.
Six minutes of added time were indicated at the end of normal time, giving Kerry a final opportunity to find an equaliser. In stoppage time, Cian Brosnan headed wide at the back post, a chance that summed up the home side’s frustration.
Lucas Curtin was shown a yellow card late on, but Cobh Ramblers held firm through the remaining minutes.
At the final whistle, Kerry FC were left to reflect on a disappointing result, having shown determination in the second half but ultimately falling short as Cobh Ramblers secured a 2-1 victory in Tralee. Kerry must dust themselves off very quickly as they make the trip to the Munster FA Turners Cross Stadium on Monday evening to round off the Bank Holiday weekend with a clash against the league leaders Cork City
Kerry FC Team: Harry Halwax; Sean O’Connell, Kilian Cantwell (C), Sean McGrath, Cian Murphy, Jonas Häkkinen, Eric Koufie, Vince Borden, Niall Brookwell, Arran Healy, Cian Bargary (GOAL ‘64).
Subs Used: Ryan Kelliher, Brandon Bermingham, Cian Brosnan, Ewan Lee, Luke Palmer.
Cobh Ramblers Team: Timothy Martin; Callum Honohan, Brian Linehan, Brendan Frahill, Rhys Gourdie, Dylan McGlade (PEN GOAL ‘44, ‘48), Lucas Curtin, Oran Crowe, Reece Kelly-Noonan, Mikey Carroll, Garry Buckley (C).
Subs Used: Wilson Waweru, Anthony Adenopo, Rhys Brennan, Jason Abbott.