Matchday 18 – Cobh Ramblers v Kerry FC
So we reach the halfway point of the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division for 2024 as Kerry FC make the short journey along the N22 to St Colman’s Park for the latest instalment of the league on a newly laid astroturf surface in the seaside town.
Reflecting on the opening half of the season, the progress Kerry have shown in their second term in the League of Ireland is evident to see. A total of 12 points to date has already eclipsed the points total from 2023 which is a testament to the resilience of the current bunch of players led by the youngest manager ever in the League of Ireland. That topped with a fine defensive record has gotten points on the board for the Tralee-based side. The inevitable first home win that was subject to multiple headlines in the early stages has now been and gone, in fact, the side now has more home wins than wins on the road as we hit a vital stage of the season.
The June Bank Holiday weekend marks the start of the summer for many, but there will be no time for 99’s in Mounthawk Park as two games this weekend in 72 hours is enough to keep the minds clear of summer’s sweet treats. The first of back-to-back matches is a trip to sunny Cobh and to St Colman’s Park for the first time this season. A new surface changing from grass to astro is bound to take time to get used to but Kerry might see this as an advantage. Kerry jumped to a high of 9th following last Friday’s convincing 2-0 win over Finn Harps of Ballybofey in sunny Tralee. In a game where everything clicked, goals from Ryan Kelliher and Daniel Okwute, along with multiple other clear cut chances meant a 2 goal win was flattering to the Donegal outfit.
So Kerry travel to our neighbouring county with a result to build on now. Ramblers are winless in 4 games, but 3 back to back draws against Longford, Wexford and Longford over the last 3 games means they are getting some consistent points on the board. Losses to Wexford, Athlone, UCD and Treaty will give Kerry some confidence going into the fixture for a team looking to build form ahead of the summer break. Excluding the trip to UCD next week, Kerry have games against teams around us in the league – Cobh, Treaty United and bottom-of-the-table Longford Town before the summer break to explore the possibility of getting further points on the board and sit in a nice position before the trips to Banna beach can be planned.
Matchday 18
Cobh Ramblers v Kerry FC
Friday, May 31st – St Colman’s Park, Cobh – 19:45pm Kick Off
Head to Head (All Competitions)
Cobh Ramblers Wins 2 | Draws 3 | Kerry FC Wins 1
Did you know?
A new record for a points total in League of Ireland history was set by Kerry FC last Friday night. Victory for the kingdom sent us to 12 points in the league, 2 more than the 10 we received in our inaugural season.
Injury Update
Speaking to the assembled media on Monday afternoon, First Team Coach James Sugrue shared some positive injury news ahead of the game on Friday night. Sean O’Connell, who left proceedings after the hour mark on Friday night was just precautionary and will be available. Jack Kavanagh has returned to training after a knock kept him out of the matchday 20 on Friday night. Ronan Teahan returns to the fold following his suspension last Friday night.
‘What They Said’
James Sugrue – “Like every game in the league, they are all tough. Cobh likewise, might suit us a small bit up there being an astroturf surface, it’s new up there and we are used to playing on ours now. But look, what we have started in the last few months is worrying about ourselves more than the opponent. Ya, we look at them, we study the video, but this time now we are really looking at ourselves and concentrating on how we can hurt teams rather than getting too bogged down on the opposition. We work hard on the basics from defence to attack. We expect a tough battle but we are looking forward to going there.”
