REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION ROUND 30
Kerry FC 1-1 Cobh Ramblers
On Friday night, Kerry FC took on Cobh Ramblers for the final time this season and for just the second time in three weeks after Kerry’s impressive 2-0 win over the Cork side in the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup. Each of the four games between the two sides this season has been quite an even affair, and this one would more than likely be no different.
For the visitors, their only loss since the eleventh of July was at the hands of Kerry FC in that cup game. Since then, they have gone on to win five, draw two and lose just once. A win for Cobh is just as important as a win for Kerry FC as they look to mount as much pressure as possible on league leaders Dundalk FC in the hope that the Ramblers can catch the Louth side for automatic promotion.
For Kerry FC, they are just six points off the playoff places, and at this stage of the season, every point matters. Many around the club and supporters alike felt that if Kerry FC could match their intensity over the past three weeks, it could be an exciting end to the season ahead.
First Half
The game began in a lively fashion, although it lacked quality. Just three minutes in, Kerry FC’s Ewan Lee found himself in the referee’s book after what was judged to be a high challenge, but seemed harsh; however, it was a sign of the aggression and intensity that would characterise much of the early exchanges.
The home side nearly snatched an early advantage in the seventh minute when Sean O’Connell’s in-swinging corner almost deceived Timothy Martin in the Cobh goal, sailing just over the crossbar. For a side often criticised for struggling to convert set pieces into genuine chances, it has been a part of their play that they have worked on a lot recently, and it has started to reap the rewards.
Yet, as the minutes ticked by, the game settled into a scrappy rhythm. Passes went astray, attacks fizzled out before truly threatening, and neither side established a foothold in midfield. After twenty-two minutes, the game was described as scrappy, and that summed up the first half perfectly: plenty of endeavour, little end product.
Kerry FC’s most promising moment before the break came just before the half-hour mark. O’Connell, again instrumental, slipped a clever ball into Robbie Cleary on the edge of the area. Cleary’s strike looked dangerous, but Niall O’Keefe was alert to block.
The first change of the evening came before the interval as Ronan Teahan was withdrawn through injury, replaced by Arran Healy in the thirty-ninth minute. Teahan got a knock to the back, which can always be a painful one. Healy’s introduction brought energy down the right-hand side of the midfield three, but the half looked set to finish goalless until Cobh finally carved out a big opportunity in stoppage time.
Barry Coffey surged into the box and unleashed a shot from a tight angle, only to be denied brilliantly by Kerry keeper Matthew Connor at his near post. Connor’s intervention kept the game scoreless at the break, much to the relief of the home supporters.
Second Half
If the first half was characterised by caution, the second half quickly developed into an open contest. Within six minutes of the restart, Healy showed his attacking instincts with a burst down the right flank, creating space for a cross. Frustratingly for Kerry, no one was there to meet it.
Cobh soon began to assert themselves. Coffey, lively throughout, spurned a decent chance in the fifty-eighth minute when he met Samuel Bellis’ delivery but headed over from a promising position. Just a minute later, the breakthrough came.
Cobh pressed Kerry high, forcing a turnover deep in Kingdom territory. The ball fell kindly to Rhys Gourdie, who demonstrated composure by sliding the ball past Connor to make it 1–0. The away supporters erupted, sensing that their side’s patience and pressing had finally paid off.
Kerry responded immediately with a substitution, bringing on the fresh in-form Cian Brosnan for debutant Daniel O’Connor. Brosnan’s introduction injected urgency into the home side’s attack, though tensions began to boil over shortly after. Cleary and Mujaguzi were both shown yellow cards in quick succession, reflecting the rising intensity.
The sixty-ninth minute saw one of the game’s defining passages. Brosnan, eager to make his mark, produced a dazzling solo run, skipping past defenders before unleashing a shot that forced a superb save from Martin. From the resulting corner, the home side found their equaliser.
O’Connell delivered another wicked ball into the box, and this time Oran Crowe rose highest at the near post to glance a header into the net. The eruption from the Mounthawk Park terraces matched the midfielder’s passion as he wheeled away in celebration. Suddenly, the game was alive, and Kerry had belief.
The leveller nearly became obsolete just minutes later when Cobh’s Cian Bargary burst into the Kerry area, only to be denied by another outstanding save from Connor. It was end-to-end football, with both sides sensing that a winner was possible.
Kerry, buoyed by their equaliser, grew stronger as the clock ticked down. In the eighty-first minute, Brosnan again caused havoc on the right wing, delivering a pinpoint cross to Joe Adams at the far post. Adams rose well but directed his header agonisingly wide of the far post.
As the game edged into its final stages, the tension was palpable. Cobh introduced Dylan McGlade, whose quick feet nearly won the match in the ninetieth minute. The winger ghosted past a couple of Kerry defenders before rifling a shot goalward, but Connor was again the hero, parrying the ball away.
Kerry almost stole it themselves in stoppage time. A frantic goalmouth scramble saw Joe Adams’ effort blocked by Jonas Häkkinen before the ball was eventually cleared. The Kingdom fans had their hearts in their mouths, but it wasn’t to be.
The final whistle confirmed a 1–1 draw, a result that both sides could take positives from, though each may also rue missed opportunities.
It was a tough battle that could have gone either way, but Kerry FC have now taken points from the top two in the division in successive weeks and look to be in top form before next week’s Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup Quarter Final against Sligo Rovers.
Kerry FC Team: 16. Matthew Connor, 3. Sean O’Connell, 4. Oran Crowe (GOAL ‘70), 5. Christopher McQueen, 6. Carl Mujaguzi, 8. Ronan Teahan, 10. Joe Adams, 14. Robert Cleary, 19. Daniel O’Connor, 28. Niall Brookwell, 29. Ewan Lee.
Subs: Darragh Foley, Arran Healy, Cian Brosnan, Luke Doolan, Finn Barrett, Sean McGrath, Luke Palmer, Kevin Williams, Ryan Perez.
Cobh Ramblers Team: 16. Timothy Martin, 3. John O’Donovan, 4. Niall O’Keefe, 6. Shane Griffin (C), 7. Cian Bargary, 8. Barry Coffey, 9. Cian Murphy, 11. Rhys Gourdie (GOAL ‘59), 14. Cian Coleman, 18. Jonas Häkkinen, 45. Samuel Bellis.
Subs: Oisin Barry, Lestyn Hughes, Dylan McGlade, Jason Abbott, Matthew Whelan, Nolan Evers, Mikey Carroll, Harvey Cribb, Faruq Adegboyega.