Ramblers’ Henderson rues early Cabinteely goals
SOCCER
Daire Walsh
COBH RAMBLERS manager Stephen Henderson was left frustrated at Stradbrook last night as his side were undone by the concession of two quick-fire goals for the second week in succession.
Following a brace of hammer blows in the opening half of last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Galway United, the St Colman’s Park men were put to the sword by unanswered Cabinteely efforts from Jack Watson and Kevin Knight.
“It’s a flaw in us, isn’t it? Two goals aside, the first half we were awful. Then the second half, we created a few good chances. Cabinteely fully deserved it. We’re in trouble to be honest with you in terms of where we’re going as a team,” Henderson remarked after the game.
“For love nor money, we can’t get a full game together. Even the goals we’re conceding, there’s nobody working too hard to get them. We just had a little chat there and we’ll try and sort stuff out in the coming weeks, and see what happens. Don’t want the season to filter out like that, but if that’s the way we’re going to continue, I’m dreading the last few weeks.”
Indeed, after Ramblers fell to their 11th defeat from 21 in the SSE Airtricity League First Division, Henderson admitted a degree of embarrassment with the way their year has panned out.
“I know we lose players on a regular basis, but we have some good players in there. This what we’ve succumbed to now this year. It’s really disappointing. We’re a proud club. People don’t realise that, that we’re a proud club. But our pride has taken a battering this year and that’s the God’s honest truth.
“I’m embarrassed by it to be honest with you. Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I’m going to try and figure out how we’re going to turn this around.”
With six games remaining in the current second-tier campaign, Cobh will aim to rediscover the form that helped to make them promotion contenders in the past two seasons. The return of Shane O’Connor for his second spell at the club will certainly bolster their midfield options, which Henderson acknowledged has been threadbare in recent weeks.
“We have Shane O’Connor coming in. We have no experienced central midfielders. Craig [Donnellan] is only after coming back from his cruciate and David Hurley is a number ten.
“Then we put Stephen Kenny in there.
“We don’t have proper midfield players at the moment, but Shane O’Connor will do that role.
“His organisation and communication skills will be of huge benefit to the young players,” Henderson added.