REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 26: Kerry FC 3-0 Cobh Ramblers
Kerry FC were back home on Monday to round off the Bank Holiday Weekend with a visit from Cobh Ramblers in Mounthawk Park.
For both sides coming into the game, it was a real promotion race six-pointer as just two points separated the two teams in fifth and sixth. Both Kerry FC and Cobh Ramblers enjoyed wins on Friday. Cobh put an end to a five-game losing streak by beating Wexford FC in St. Colman’s Park, whereas Kerry FC picked up their first ever win in the Carlisle Grounds against Bray Wanderers, winning 4-0.
The last time the two sides faced was before the Summer Break, when Cobh went out 2-0 winners. Since then, Kerry FC’s fortunes have totally turned around. They have picked up sixteen out of the last twenty-one points on offer and defeated Premier Division opposition in the FAI Cup.
A massive crowd of eight hundred and twenty turned out in Tralee on Monday to get behind a Kingdom side who are in red-hot form, including one Roy Keane.
FIRST HALF
Kerry FC started brightly from the opening whistle and immediately looked determined to impose themselves on the visitors. The hosts enjoyed plenty of possession in the early stages, moving the ball confidently through the lines and asking questions of the Cobh defence.
The breakthrough arrived in the fifteenth minute, and it came from a familiar source. Sean O’Connell delivered an excellent free-kick from the left-hand side into the penalty area, where Cian Murphy rose highest to power his header beyond Timothy Martin and give Kerry FC a deserved lead.
Buoyed by the opening goal, Kerry continued to press forward. Two minutes later, another slick move from back to front released Daniel Okwute down the flank, and his inviting delivery flashed dangerously across the face of goal, narrowly evading everyone in the box.
Kerry remained firmly on top during the opening exchanges, while Cobh Ramblers struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities. Their first real sight of goal came in the twenty-third minute when Dylan McGlade found himself one-on-one with Matthew Connor, but the Kerry goalkeeper produced an excellent save to preserve his side’s advantage.
The hosts doubled their lead spectacularly in the twenty-eighth minute. Sean McGrath picked up possession and embarked on a brilliant solo run, surging through the middle before calmly finishing low past Martin. It was a moment of individual brilliance from the Kerry captain and sent the home support into celebration.
Cobh’s frustrations began to show shortly afterwards when Enzo Dietrich entered the referee’s notebook in the thirtieth minute.
Kerry continued to play with confidence and purpose, and they struck for a third time just before the interval. Another flowing move carved open the Ramblers defence, with Cian Bargary showing great awareness to square the ball into Murphy’s path. The striker made no mistake, calmly finishing to claim his second goal of the evening in the forty-second minute.
It capped a dominant opening half from Colin Healy’s side, who went into the dressing room with a commanding 3-0 advantage after forty-five minutes of entertaining football.
SECOND HALF
Cobh Ramblers emerged after the restart looking to respond, but Kerry FC remained organised and dangerous on the counter-attack.
Murphy almost completed his hat-trick in the forty-eighth minute when his effort was deflected over the crossbar for a corner. Three minutes later, the forward found himself in another promising position inside the penalty area, only to fire over the bar.
The second half settled into a more even contest, with both sides enjoying spells of possession but neither able to create many clear opportunities. Kerry, however, continued to threaten whenever they attacked.
In the sixty-sixth minute, Bargary came agonisingly close to adding a fourth goal. The winger produced an excellent first touch before striking a superb half-volley that crashed against the crossbar. At the other end, Connor was called into action moments later and produced another excellent save to deny Rhys Gourdie’s long-range effort.
Colin Healy turned to his bench in the seventieth minute, introducing Rob Keane and Ryan Perez in place of Sean McGrath and Cian Bargary. Cian Murphy was shown a yellow card two minutes later, while Brendan Frahill was cautioned in the seventy-fourth minute and Sean O’Connell followed him into the book two minutes afterwards.
Further changes arrived in the eightieth minute as Luke Palmer and Simon Lüchinger replaced Murphy and Vince Borden, before Cian Brosnan came on for Daniel Okwute three minutes later.
Despite the changes, Kerry’s control of the contest never wavered. The hosts managed possession expertly and limited Cobh to very few opportunities, drawing appreciative applause from the supporters inside Mounthawk Park.
Ryan Perez and Luka Le Bervet both received yellow cards in the eighty-ninth minute, but there was little to dampen the mood as the final whistle sounded moments later.
After a commanding first-half display and a disciplined second-half performance, Kerry FC deservedly claimed a 3-0 victory over Cobh Ramblers. On a rain-soaked evening in Mounthawk Park, Colin Healy’s side delivered one of their most complete performances of the season to send the home supporters home happy.
Kerry FC have another Munster Derby on their hands this coming Friday evening as they take on Cork City at the Munster FA Turners Cross Stadium, as the Kingdom move just five points off second place.
Kerry FC Team: Matthew Connor; Sean O’Connell, Sean McGrath (C)(GOAL ‘28), Cian Murphy (GOAL ‘15, 42), Daniel Okwute, Jonas Häkkinen, Samuel Aladesanusi, Vince Borden, Niall Brookwell, Ewan Lee, Cian Bargary.
Subs Used: Rob Keane, Ryan Perez, Luke Palmer, Cian Brosnan, Simon Lüchinger
Cobh Ramblers Team: Timothy Martin; Brian Linehan, Brendan Frahill, Enzo Dietrich, Rhys Gourdie, Dylan McGlade, Prince Jordan Adeyemi, Lucas Curtin, Jonas Sternberg, Mikey Carroll, Luka Le Bervet.
Subs Used: Kai O’Neill, Anthony Adenopo, Rhys Kelly-Noonan, Dara McCormick.