Cobh Ramblers 0

Cork City 3 

Stephen Barry reports from St Colman’s Park

IN SUNSHINE OR in rain, these local derbies have brought the best out of Cork City.

In a wash-out at Turner’s Cross last month, the Rebel Army blasted three past Cobh Ramblers. A sun-splashed evening at a packed St Colman’s Park, they delivered the same outcome in front of 1,789 fans.

Better again were the signs Barry Coffey showed of recapturing his peak goal-scoring form that lit up City’s 2022 First Division title charge. The Nenagh native registered just once last season but his second-half brace, including a breath-taking lob, took his tally to three in the space of five days.

Seán Murray’s 27th-minute opener was another strike from outside the box which skipped perfectly to the net on the new Ramblers astro. Alongside Greg Bolger, they dictated this Cork derby from the middle of the park.

An 11th clean sheet and a 15th game unbeaten keep City sailing eight points clear at the top ahead of UCD. The Rams stay seventh, five points adrift of the play-offs.

Tim Clancy made three changes with returns for Bolger after serving his suspension, Murray, and fit-again Cian Murphy. Switched to the bench were Cian Bargary, Nathan Wood, and Niall Brookwell.

Ramblers bounced in after back-to-back wins over top-four sides Bray Wanderers and UCD. Michael McCarthy and Nolan Evers formed a new pairing down their right flank as Beineón O’Brien-Whitmarsh missed out through injury.

After both teams emerged in matching yellow Darkness Into Light t-shirts, it was Ramblers who had the brighter start.

They crafted a couple of half-chances in a tentative opening quarter. Matthew McKevitt had a shot closed down by former teammate Charlie Lyons and Jack Larkin miscued an inviting opportunity.

They had a weapon in Cian Browne’s long throws and that route provided their most clear-cut chance but Breandán Frahill couldn’t keep his header down.

City’s defence looked on top of their brief, though, and once their attack began to click into gear, they took a stranglehold of this contest.

Jaden Umeh had a shot blocked by Frahill and Murray fired straight at Darragh Burke. That would prove a valuable sighter when he opened the scoring two minutes later.

Lyons won his aerial duel in defence and from his clearance, Cathal O’Sullivan’s take inadvertently nutmegged a home defender. He cut inside to tee up the Glentoran loanee from 25 yards out to unleash a low drive to the far corner.

Murray was taking on shots from all angles, blazing his next over after a one-two with Murphy, while Evan McLaughlin fizzed another wide from distance. 1-0 to the visitors at half-time.

Ramblers had a couple of sights of goal early in the second half. Frahill flicked over from another Browne throw-in and Darragh Crowley came steaming in to pull off a diving block from James O’Leary’s close-range rasper.

City put it beyond their reach in the 58th minute. Dean Larkin headed a long ball as far as Coffey and he executed a delightful right-footed lob over the stranded Burke from just outside the box.

Coffey doubled his haul eight minutes later. McLaughlin put the cross in after some beautiful trickery from down the left but it was a mistake from Browne which served up a simple finish for his fourth of the season.

They continued to threaten from there to the finish. Bargary had three attempts to register off the bench but his best of those was directed straight at Burke.

Murphy blazed too high and Murray knocked a rehearsed corner-kick routine wide but it was O’Sullivan who came closest.

The teenage talent whipped a left-footed curler wide of the far post before his deflected shot off of Frahill dipped just over the bar.

Cork City: B Wade; D Crowley, C Coleman, C Lyons, E McLaughlin (C Drinan 77); S Murray, G Bolger (A Healy 70); J Umeh (C Bargary 70), B Coffey, C O’Sullivan; C Murphy (H Skieters 77).

Cobh Ramblers: D Burke; M McCarthy (C O’Brien 76), B Frahill, D Larkin, C Browne; D Holland, J Abbott; N Evers, J Larkin (D Bosnjak 66), J O’Leary (L Kervick 66); M McKevitt (D Eguaibor 76).

Referee: R Matthews.

First Division Results

Finn Harps 3-2 Longford Town

Athlone Town 2-1 Bray Wanderers 

Treaty United 2-2 Wexford

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