Brave Rams just come up short
SOCCER
DROGHEDA UNITED…………………………………… 1
COBH RAMBLERS………………………………………. 2
Daire Walsh
COBH RAMBLERS produced an outstanding performance at United Park last night, before coming up just short in the second leg of an engrossing SSE Airtricity League First Division play-off.
Cobh had given themselves a fighting chance when Connor Ellis and Shane O’Connor claimed goals in a frantic opening to the tie, but thanks to a 61st-minute finish by the influential Gareth McCaffrey, it was Drogheda who ultimately advanced.
While Drogheda, who suffered automatic relegation from the Premier Division last yeaR, were unchanged from last weekend’s game at St Colman’s Park, Cobh manager Stephen Henderson made three alterations to his starting line-up for this return fixture.
Cian Kingston’s one-match suspension, for accumulating five yellow-cards, meant that Chris McCarthy was drafted into the centre of defence, while Ellis and Matthew Whelan replaced Eoin McGreevy and Stephen Christopher respectively – after deputising for them in the closing 20 minutes of the first leg.
The 2-0 reversal seven days ago brought Cobh’s five-game winning streak to an end, and if they were to turn the table on Pete Mahon’s hosts, they needed to issue a serious statement of intent in the opening moments of the contest.
Indeed, Cobh had the kind of start they could only have dreamt of, as they cut their aggregate deficit in half with barely 25 seconds gone on the clock. A long ball over the top of the Drogs defence made its way to Ellis, and after racing through on goal, the former Cork City underage star found the bottom left-hand corner of Stephen McGuinness’ net in impressive style.
This was precisely the kind of response that Henderson was seeking from his team, and with the travelling Ramblers supporters in full voice, they doubled their lead (on the night) in sensational fashion in the eighth-minute.
O’Connor has been in fine form for the visitors throughout 2016, and when the ball broke to him inside the Drogs box, his crisp low strike was too strong for the helpless McGuinness. This was the ex-Ipswich Town midfielder’s ninth goal of the campaign – and with the sides on level terms overall at such an early stage, momentum appeared to be with Ramblers.
However, despite showing several signs of frustration, Drogs began to settle as the half wore on – and Jake Hyland was narrowly off-target with a powerful effort from distance. McCarthy was also booked for a foul of Drogs striker Marc Griffin on 23 minutes, but despite threatening to open up the Cobh back-four at times, the final-ball from the home team was off for much of the first half.
Their skipper Sean Thornton (an English second-tier champion with Sunderland in 2005) was inches past the post with a header from a Griffin free-kick nine minutes before the interval, but the linesman signalled for offside on this occasion.
The Co Louth men were certainly on top, possession wise as the opening period drew to a close, but McGuinness came to their rescue prior to the break, when he brilliantly turned away a close-range Whelan header via a pin-point Rob Lehane delivery on the right-flank.
The game was now perfectly poised when the action resumed, and even though Thornton went close for Drogs in the early stages of the half, Cobh once again forced opposition netminder McGuinness into action. Following excellent work by O’Connor on the left (he was deployed in a wide role for this game), Ellis turned sharply in the area, his stinging shot was clawed away by the outstretched right arm of McGuinness.
There was no questioning the ambition of Cobh, who were aiming to return to the top-flight after an eight-year absence, but they suffered a hammer blow to their chances of progression just past the hour mark.
The skilful Adam Wixted had cut inside effectively from the right-wing, before finding McCaffrey at a left-hand angle. The Dublin native displayed great composure with the ball at his feet, and his low drive found its way past Paul Hunt in the Cobh goal.
It was now advantage to Drogheda heading into the closing stages, but although the play was starting to open significantly, Cobh continued to take the game to their opponents. A counter-attack led to another McGuinness save from an Ellis shot, and Lehane’s rebounded attempt was deflected behind for a corner.
With 15 minutes left in the play, Kyle McNamara and Anthony O’Donnell were introduced for Ellis and Lehane, and the former almost had an immediate impact on the proceedings.
A fierce 81st-minute Craig Donnellan shot from an O’Connor cross crashed off the underside of the crossbar, and McNamara then had his subsequent effort cleared off the line.
There were some scary moments for the Cobh rearguard as the final whistle approached, but when fourth official Dave McKeon indicated there would be at least five minutes of additional time, they were offered a glimmer of hope.
It wasn’t to be in the end, but Cobh Ramblers can nevertheless take many positives out of the way they have performed throughout their 2016 campaign in the First Division.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Stephen McGuinness; Colm Deasy, Kevin Farragher, Luke Gallagher, Stephen Dunne; Richie Purdy, Sean Thornton, Jake Hyland, Gareth McCaffrey (Derek Doyle 90); Marc Griffin (Aaron Ashe 78), Adam Wixted.
COBH RAMBLERS: Paul Hunt; Charlie Fleming, Kevin Mulcahy, Chris McCarthy, Ian Mylod (Eoin McGreevy 90); Rob Lehane (Anthony O’Donnell 75), Craig Donnellan, Garry Comerford, Shane O’Connor, Matthew Whelan, Connor Ellis (Kyle McNamara 75).
Referee: Marc Lynch (Galway).