Cobh 1-1 UCD

**pineapple stu** · 09/05/2004, 8:37 PM

Cobh Ramblers threw away points with the last kick of the game for the second home match in a row in a fractious and controversial - though entertaining - clash on Saturday. Having denied UCD a clear-cut penalty just two minutes earlier, the referee pointed to the spot after Alex Nesovic, on his Cobh debut, fouled Pat Sullivan, and Seán Finn drilled the penalty home. The draw was probably a fair result as UCD never got going until after Cobh scored and though they had more chances overall, it was Ramblers who had the clearer ones.

In the first half, Cobh's defenders were UCD's best attackers as a shot from the edge of the area was deflected onto the roof of the net, while a Brian Gannon cross from the right took a deflection and Alan O'Shea had to be smart to tip over the bar. But Cobh always threatened and almost got in behind the UCD defence on a couple of occasions, but College held out through a combination of some very suspect offside decisions and a brilliant Neil Gallagher save from a header which was headed (sorry!) for the top corner.

UCD started much the brighter after the break and Robbie Martin could have had them ahead five minutes in, when he went past three Ramblers players on a run to the edge of the six-yard box, but O'Shea produced a good reflex save to deflect the ball wide.

College were sluggish overall though, and Ramblers took advantage to take the lead on 68 minutes. A tame free-kick on the edge of the area - awarded by an outrageously whistle-happy referee - was teed up for the Cobh full-back, and he drilled the ball into the bottom corner - the first goal UCD had conceded in 520 minutes of football.

UCD woke up after that and dominated the remainder of the game, though not without Cobh providing one or two scares. The Cobh defence continued to gift College chances - first, a defender took the ball off the toe of his own keeper and could only watch as it trickled inches wide of the post. Bizarrely, the referee awarded a goal-kick, much to the consternation of Robbie Martin, who was booked for his troubles - one of three UCD players (along with Tony Mac and Robbie Mac) to be booked for dissent and one of six to be booked overall (Finn, Mahon and Sullivan as well). Then an offside trap went woefully wrong to leave four UCD players behind the Cobh lines - skipper Tony McDonnell found himself in acres of space, but instead of taking the ball down, he inexplicably chose to head across goal, and the hastily retreating Cobh defence got back to clear. And not long later, Robbie Martin rose to head a corner goalwards where Colm Kearins, two yards out and with the keeper nowhere, actually managed to clear the ball backwards when it looked easier to score.

In betweentimes, though, Ramblers forced Neil Gallagher into the save of the match when a corner was missed entirely by the UCD defence, leaving a Cobh forward on his own six yards out, but his powerful volley was somehow blocked by Gallagher; the rebound came at the forward too fast for him to do anything other than scoop it over the bar. And from a drive from twelve yards out, Gallagher was forced into another impressive save to tip wide.

Into the last five minutes, and the referee took over. Having spoiled both teams' attempts to play passing football through his many - often mystefying - petty free-kick awards, he then found himself in a position where Robbie Martin had just been hauled down on the edge of the area with no other defenders in sight. Incredibly, he failed to send the Cobh defender off for what was a textbook professional foul, satisfying himself with only a yellow. Seán Finn teed up Alan Mahon, who blazed over. Two minutes later, Martin was through on goal again, only to be blown up for a highly questionable offside, while Hugh Davey shot over on the turn after the ball broke loose in the area.

Into injury time, and it was Brian Gannon's turn to be clear through on goals, this time in the penalty area. He too was clearly pulled back, but the referee ignored UCD's claims for a spot-kick and another red card. But just when it was beginning to look like Cobh's day, he awarded UCD a penalty after Sullivan was fouled. The tension built as the kick was delayed to allow treatment for a Cobh player, but Seán Finn - taking over penalty duties from Robbie Mac, who has missed two of his last three kicks - kept his nerve to rifle the ball into the bottom corner.

There was time only for Cobh to tip off before the final whistle went, but the drama still wasn't over as a section of Cobh fans taunted Sullivan with chants of "Cheat", while there was more fraction after the game as some Cobh fans remarkably saw fit to ask UCD fans if the referee was playing for us, which brought an understandably angry reply.

Overall, UCD only showed how they can play after they went 1-0 down, and question marks must be raised about the players' temperament, with three bookings for dissent and two for very late tackles. Granted, the performance of the referee understandably raised the frustration, but with a relatively inexperienced subs bench, the team can ill afford six bookings a match. It was also worrying to see them needing a kick before finally playing to their ability - hopefully Pete Mahon can carry this through to the Sligo match and have the team playing in top gear from the start. On a more positive note, we did meet a local bookmaker who had E4,000 on UCD to win the First Division, though he wasn't overly impressed with his first sighting of the team!

UCD - Gallagher; Mahon, Davey, McAuley, McNally; McDonnell, Gannon, Finn, McWalter (Sullivan); Doyle (Kierans), Martin.

Attendance - c 200

**Queenstown Ram** · 10/05/2004, 6:40 PM

It wasn't only cobh who were throwing in big tackles. There was a very heavy challenge on Cobh No.7 Tony Tynan which was only punished by a yellow card. It's true to say that Cobh rode their luck for the last ten minutes and the foul by Darren Murphy should have seen him walk just before the penalty decision. The ref was from Dublin-when are the FAI going to stop sending out refs from the counties of the playing teams. we went to Galway (I think) a few weeks ago and got Alan Kelly(Cork). These refs cant win. If they side with the home team its seen as they are giving the team from their home county a hiding.

On the subject of Eddie Foley linesman, we are sick to the teeth of having to put up with him week after week. "Offisde" the man just dosnt understand it. This is a linesman who actually officiated at a world cup.

That was the best performance from the Cobh lads for nearly 10 months.

**pineapple stu** · 10/05/2004, 6:46 PM

UCD were putting in heavy tackles - that's what the report says. Cobh were putting in the professional fouls though!

Good game though - Cobh shouldn't be down he bottom too long if they can keep playing like that. Though you should have scored later in the game - think it only woke us up and annoyed us!

**Rams-fan** · 11/05/2004, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

UCD were putting in heavy tackles - that's what the report says. Cobh were putting in the professional fouls though!

Good game though - Cobh shouldn't be down he bottom too long if they can keep playing like that. Though you should have scored later in the game - think it only woke us up and annoyed us!

Thanks for the match report, I missed the game and it seemed a very fair assessment of what I have heard.

I still can't believe the amount of cautions that are given out, I sometimes think it is just a come down on the Rams. But I guess not.

**Schumi** · 11/05/2004, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Rams-fan

I still can't believe the amount of cautions that are given out, I sometimes think it is just a come down on the Rams. But I guess not.

The majority of our yellows were for dissent, a bit unprofessional but understandable given that the ref was giving Cobh free-kicks any time two players looked at each other! Cobh did well, they completely bossed the midfield where we were hopeless but their big problem is their finishing. I can see a lot more teams having problems down there though.

**Éanna** · 11/05/2004, 1:03 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

their big problem is their finishing.

yeah, they haven't looked good up front. Might be wrong here but, they have ex-city players in defence and midfield but not up front- maybe thats their problem

Seriously though, the Dundalk game was a perfect example- Ramblers should probably have won that by 3 or 4 at least and ended up losing because of their crap finishing