Straight into the action! – PearceyPlays #FM20 Season 4 – Part 29 – Cobh Ramblers – February 2022

Straight into the action today – we host Shamrock Rovers today in our first Premier Division game since 2008.

11th February 2022 – Shamrock Rovers (H) – Premier Division

The boys have had a good pre-season, especially that 7-0 7 days ago against today’s opponents!!! Still can’t believe that happened TBH.

For Evans read Graydon, for Sammon read Curran. Kehoe with his first competitive start for Cobh at left back, Josh Collins and Anthony Meade our starting central defence partnership, with Hughes waiting in the wings if more experience is needed. Feeling positive, but i don’t expect much this season TBH. Shamrock start with a 4-4-1-1, Sammon starting up top for them.

FT Cobh Ramblers 0 Shamrock Rovers 2 (Sammon 5, 49) Att 561 (253 Away)

We lasted just over 4 minutes… A real scramble in the box, Brian Sammon on hand to tap in. Really unlucky the way the ball rebounded from challenges a number of times. We’re looking good going forward though. Nearly 2-0 on 30 minutes, Meade dispossessed whilst dwelling on the ball, Sammon ending up receiving the ball but shot directly at Mylod, who stayed big. 1-0 Shamrock at HT, a really good showing from the boys so far, just need that goal.

A really good start to the half, Costelloe stealing the ball in the first 20 seconds, Curran well saved by. And then out of nowhere it’s 2-0 – Charlie Fleming dispossessed, a lovely tackle by meade by the ball falls straight to Sammon, who runs on an scores…. Taylor on for Fleming. 60 gone, Melody for Graydon. Last 20, O’Neill for Curran. But time ran down. A 2-0 loss, 2 unlucky rebounds and we certainly weren’t dominated.

Galway the biggest loser on the day versus Shelbourne. Cork beating Dundalk was a big result as well. Next up is Sligo in 4 days.

LOAN SIGNING

Brian McManus comes in as a solid Midfield 3 option. Essentially an attacking CM I see him working with Ethan Devine this season (As we have 9 more league games to play than last term). A nice no-money signing for the season.

Get promoted, sell 3. More. Season. Tickets………………….

LOAN SIGNING

Bosun Lawal joins us as our best player by CA – Very solid and determined, another player vying for the starting centre mid spot, or he could play as a playmaker from further back if Eoin Porter doesn’t fire as the Number 10. A very nice inclusion to the squad, and again no money changing hands 🙂

15th February 2022 – Sligo Rovers (A) – Premier Division

We make the 4 hour, 212 mile journey north-west to play Sligo for the 1st time this save. Sligo lost 2-0 last time out versus Derry City, so this could be a game we could get some points from.

A bit of rotation with Phillips going to left wing-back in place of Kehoe, Hughes into central defence in place of Meade, Lewis at right wing-back in place of Fleming, Hurley as the BWM, Lawal straight into centre mid as a CM(S), Melody on the right wing in place of Graydon. Sligo start with a 4-4-2.

FT Sligo Rovers 0 Cobh Ramblers 2 (Costelloe 44, 90) Att 1,512 (36 Away)

Away games could be a bit scary I think, not going into this expecting too much. A slowish start, but we possibly should have been 1-0 up in the 9th minute, a lovely free kick, Hughes on his own at the back post, a weak half-volley into the Keeper’s arms when it looked easier to score. Cobh definitely with the better of it early on, McGinty in the Sligo net making a number of saves. Plenty of chances, just constant blocking from the Sligo defence. Sligo score from nowhere in the 39th – a voley from a free kick, but it was offside, their first meaningful attack, but Cobh take the lead in the 44th minute – A Pierce Phillips long throw headed straight in by Dara Costelloe at the near post. 1-0 Cobh, and fully deserved. 1-0 at Half Time, dominant.

Another good start to the half, Cobh with the ball in the net, though Hurley is adjudged to have fouled someone, and has gone into the book. 50th minute, should have been 2-0 – Curran with the goal at his mercy hits McGinty in the Sligo net from 5 yards. Still getting plenty of chances. First change at 60, O’Neill for Curran. 70 gone, Graydon for Melody. 80 gone, Fleming for a tired Pierce Phillips. Feel like we might pay for not putting some of these chances away, but its been a really good showing today. And there’s a goal 6 seconds before the 90 is up – it’s that man Costelloe again 🙂 A Lawal corner flicked on by Graydon, Costelloe at the back post to volley home from 12 yards. 2-0, thoroughly deserved.

St. Pats and Cork City are the only team with 2 wins, Galway & Sligo now with 2 losses.

We’ve had the League Cup 1st Round Draw:

A nice one for a change, away to Wexford, though there are a fair few byes.

Our U19’s beat Arklow in a friendly 3-1, goals from Daire Doherty, 17yo AMR John O’Brien & 16yo AMC Anthony Fleming.

Just the 5 players in the Premier Division Team of the Week!!!

22nd February 2022 – Cork City (H) – Premier Division

The Co. Cork derby tonight as we host Cork City in what will be a very tough match. The season preview has them 4th at 7-1. They are 2 for 2 (Dundalk & Galway 1-0-ers) but I hope we can at least hold our end of the game up. It will be a good test.

O’Neill starts up top, Graydon back in on the right. Meade is ineligible versus his parent club. Cork go with a 4-4-1-1, old foe Conor Barry in the number 10 role after his move from Galway in the summer.

FT Cobh Ramblers 1 (Costelloe 22) Cork City 1 (Morrissey 30) Att 4,548 (3,680 Away)

At the very least this evening we should make a bit of money on the gate – 4,000 or so expected, mostly Cork City fans. A very slow start, no shots at all in the first 10. And then out of nowhere a goal – Dara Costelloe again, this time with a worldie! Pierce Phillips nodded a clearance down to him just inside the Cork half. Dara then ran with it all the way to the edge of the area before unleasing a lovely fizzing left foot shoot across the Cork City Keeper. 1-0 Cobh!!! Cork came into the game after that, maybe should have been 1-1, Stokes shooting straight at Mylod when 1-on-1 after a Lawal mistake. But it was 1-1 from the resultant corner, Mylod flapping and Morrissey heading home. 1-1, disappointing. And we should have gone 2-1 up from the restart, a beautiful Costelloe cross volleyed close enough to the Keeper by Graydon for him to tip over (From 2 yards!!!!!!!!!) 1-1 at Half Time.

Melody on for Graydon at half time, he’s really not firing at the moment, it might take him a while to gel. First minute of the half and it should have been 2-1 Cobh – a beautiful ball by Porter slipping in Costelloe, but his pass into the middle was to nobody and it was scrambled away. 60 gone, Devine for Lawal, CM(A). Almost another Cork goal from a corner as it somehow gets into the middle and bounces, Mylod pulling off a fantastic reaction save (though he should have come and collected it in the first place). 75 gone, last change, Fleming for Lewis. Hold on boys!!! TBH Cork are in a far worse state of condition than the Cobh boys. Time is running down. Last minute of normal time, a Cobh break, O’Neill & Porter on goal and somehow they get it cleared, O’Neill scythed down – how is that not a penalty!!!! O’Neill the has the ball in the net, but he’d come back from an offside position to collect it… Mad end-to-end football in the pouring Cobh rain. 1-1 it finishes, a really creditable draw.

4 points from 3 games, really happy with that!! Sligo looking a bit like whipping boys after both promoted teams have now beaten them. Also we took about £40k in gate receipts 🙂 And we host them again later in the season. Next up a bit of rotation – Mervue Utd in the Munster Senior Cup QF.

Cobh Ramblers attendance record for the save 🙂

25th February 2022 – Mervue Utd (A) – Irish Munster Senior Cup Quarter Final

We’re looking to make it 3 Munster Senior Cups in a row this season, but first lets get past Mervue Utd. It’s a 2hr 45min 135 mile journey to Galway (So shouldn’t Mervue be in a Connaught Cup???)

Full rotation, only Mylod starts both this and started the Cork City game as we have St. Pat’s Athletic in 3 days. Mervue start with a 4-2-1-3 2DM formation.

FT Mervue Utd 1 (Chung Fung 54) Cobh Ramblers 2 (Curran 24, 46) Att 185 (1 Away)

The first real highlight was a Mervue free-kick that was cleared, taken forward by Hourihane, who found Mihoubi with a pass. Mihoubi advanced quickly, crossing low in Curran’s path and he scored to make it 1-0 Cobh. Melody had a couple oh headers go close and Curran another couple of chances but we go in 1-0 up

45:21 – Curran scores, a lovely through ball by Ethan Devine. 2-0 Cobh. Then 54th minute, out of nowhere it’s 2-1, Leung Chun Fung (Newgen Irish and Hong Kong National from U.C.D. originally) there to tap in after a free kick goes over the Cobh defenders… 60 minutes, Hurley for McManus. Curran should have had his hat-trick in the 64th minute, another 1-on-1 chance spurned. 74th minute, Conor Melody hits the post. 76 gone, Bernet for Hourihane, O’Riordan up to DM(S), Devine as the AP(A), but in centre mid. Mervue very nearly equalise in the 83rd, Mylod with a quality save. But it finished 2-1. Domination but about 4 less goals than we should have had.

Cork snuck past U.C.C. on penalties. Limerick won 4-1 v Douglas Hall back on Tuesday 22nd. College Corinthians make up the semi final line-up. Also £5k into the kitty for the win.

3 games played this evening in the Premier Division – low scoring but they saw both Sligo & Galway lose again (Dundalk have had a few cup games) leaving us in a good position. though St. Pats will be tough.

Another record – 7 wins in a row in the Munster Senior Cup.

Got this through – must have been because of the FAI Cup final last year.

And our U19’s beat Killester 2-0, Daire Doherty and Axel Bernet with the goals.

We’ve had the Munster Senior Cup Semi Final Draw…

We’re going to have to do it the hard way – away at Turners Cross.

28th February 2022 – St. Pat’s Athletic (H) – Premier Division

We welcome St. Pats from Dublin 8 to St. Colman’s Park. They’ve not lost this season or let in a goal in their 4 competitive matches but drew 0-0 last time out versus Shelbourne. This will be tough.

The first team is about 14/15 strong, so we will see the same names allseason hopefully. Curran gets another go up top, Lawal partners Hurley in centre mid with Costelloe, Porter & Graydon across the attacking midfield line. Phillips playing nicely at left back, Fleming in at right with Collins and Meade the centre backs, Mylod in goal. St. Pats (Who own Brian McManus, so he’s not involved today) start with a 4-4-1-1. Brian Connolly starts on the left, who we know well from Limerick.

FT Cobh Ramblers 2 (Bossin o.g. 18, O’Neill 85) St. Pat’s Athletic 3 (MacAuley 8, Markey 35, 38) Att 414 (130 Away)

It’s Charlie Fleming’s 125th game for the club this evening. We go 1-0 down in the 8th minute, Connolly skinning Fleming & Graydon before crossing to McAuley, who heads home. It’s an uphill struggle now. A good chance to Cobh not long after, Graydon getting forward, a nice ball into Porter, but his shot was somehow blocked. But we do get back into it. 1-1 in the 18th minute. A Lawal outswinging corner headed by Meade, off of the inside of the post, off the Keeper and in for an own goal. We’ll take it! Again we should have scored soon after – A Phillips big arm, Graydon flick on, Curran headed over when in plenty of space. Far too profligate. We are very much in charge if you look at the stats. But its 2-1 St. Pats in the 35th minute, a Madden cross headed in by Markey. Disappointing defending. And it’s 3-1 in the 38th – Markey from a nice McAuley pass slipped through the gap. What to do? Going Cautious, Lawal back to DM, Porter to AP, but in centre mid, lines back a bit and taking Counter Press off. 3-1 at Half Time, St. Pat’s look a cut above going forward.

A few chances at the start of the 2nd half for Cobh. 64 gone, Devine for Porter, O’Neill for Curran. 75 gone, Taylor for Phillips. And maybe a glimmer of home? Some nice play by Hurley, a lovely ball out to Taylor, and his near post cross finds O’Neill, who smashes home into the roof of the net on the volley. 3-2 St. Pat’s, 5 minutes of normal time left… Positive for the last 5. More chances, Costelloe passing it to the St. Pat’s keeper from 8 yards after doing all the hard work… St Pats nearly get one of those weird Keeper-hits-it-straight-at-the-oppo-striker goals, but the ball came back off of some other St. Pat’s player and the striker was offside. And that’s that, a 3-2 loss, undone by good attacking, poor defending and wayward shooting on our part. We’re not getting completely blown away by teams (yet anyway).

I’d have taken 5th after 4 games!! Galway losing again, but Sligo getting 3 points at Shelbourne. Honestly, I think we could finish anywhere from 6th to 8th, just need to get points versus the Galway’s and Shelbourne’s of this world.

And that wraps up February 2022. A tough month but we’ve shown we can hang at this level.

Only the 4 games in March, All Premier Division – 4 more points from them would be lovely. Lastly find below a round-up of the key Highlights from February 2022’s competitive matches. See you soon.