This may be the kick that Cobh needed
SOCCER
Daire Walsh
IN the aftermath of their defeat to Shelbourne in the SSE Airtricity League First Division last Friday evening, Cobh Ramblers midfielder Shane O’Connor acknowledged that elements of the side’s display were baffling.
Their 2-0 reversal to the Dublin outfit meant that they missed out on an opportunity to move into the promotion play-off spots in the second-tier. But with tough encounters against Drogheda United, Limerick and UCD on the horizon, O’Connor feels it may be the kick up the backside that they need.
“Yeah, we were playing well. We were scoring a few goals as well. It’s a bit baffling how we played maybe in spells the way we did tonight. Do you know something, maybe it’s a kick up the backside to go again, and we just need to go and prove ourselves now against probably the three best sides,” O’Connor stated.
Cobh were facing a Shels team who had gone five without a win in all competitions, but were under the guidance of former player Owen Heary for the very first time.
The seven-time league winner yielded a positive result in his opening outing as boss.
But O’Connor believes his presence didn’t impact the below-par performance of Ramblers.
“Not really, they’ve always been a good passing team. I suppose getting a new manager, they’re probably always going to have a little bit more bite. To be honest, that shouldn’t impact us at all.
“We should have been a lot better. Playing out from the back, we weren’t as good as we normally are. We didn’t create any chances and, to be honest, if anything it would have been a nil-all draw. We weren’t going to score.”
In spite of this set-back, Cobh are still firmly in contention for a top-three finish as we now move past the halfway point in the 2016 season.
O’Connor admitted they have struggled in the games against their main rivals, and will be looking push on at home to Drogheda United this Saturday.
“We’ve Drogheda, Limerick and UCD in our next three games. They’re three big games, they’re right around us.
“After tonight, especially, we need to make sure that we pick up points.
“We’ve struggled in those games previously, so we need to put that right. Especially against Drogheda next week.
“I mean it’s not the end of the world losing a game in this league, but we’re trying to build a team that people were trying to get through us instead of us chasing others.
“It’s a little set-back, but hopefully we can push forward again next week,” O’Connor added.