Kerry FC picked up their second point of the season in a scrappy low-event game with Cobh Ramblers at Mounthawk Park this evening.

Despite Cobh dominating the majority of the game, Kerry took the lead twenty minutes from time, when Ryan Kelliher tapped home a McGrath cross. James O’Leary brought the sides back on level terms just three minutes later with a neatly taken finish. 

All in all, Conor McCarthy would probably be happy with a draw from tonight as his side struggled to get their game going against a strong Cobh pressing performance.

Ramblers return to Cork and Turners Cross with their pitch still under construction when they face UCD next Friday whilst Kerry makes the long journey to Ballybofey to face Finn Harps. 

The game's first big chance came with seven minutes on the clock, as Cobh pulled the ball back to Jack Larkin, who saw his left-footed effort parried away by Antonio Tuta scrambling to his right. 

Cobh’s bright start was almost rewarded a minute later after big pressure on centre-back Aladesanusi forced him into a mistake leaving Bosnjak a chance to shoot but again Tuta was equal to the effort. 

It took twenty minutes for the hosts to get a meaningful effort on goal, a Cobh long throw was cleared by the Kerry defence and set Sean McGrath on a three-on-two break, and after Cobh prevented the initial danger McGrath worked it to Amechi who took a touch out of his body to beat his man and pull a shot towards the bottom corner, but Burke got down to save well to his right. 

The Kerry backline looked shaky trying to play out from the back, and Aladesanusi once again turned the ball over for the biggest chance of the match ten minutes from time. Cobh worked the ball around leading to Larkin crossing back post towards O’Leary, who smashed towards goal only to be denied by an acrobatic save over his head from Antonio Tuta. 

McCarthy turned to his bench taking off Steven Healy for Ronan Teahan, but it was the visitors who remained in the ascendancy early on, with the first major opportunity coming from Jack Larkin who pulled a shot wide of a seemingly gaping net. Bosnjak had the first effort towards goal blocked leaving Larkin with the chance to give his side the lead which he couldn’t convert.

It took about twenty minutes into the half for the hosts to wake up and put some pressure on their opponents, and against the run of play they took the lead. Sean McGrath did extremely well to hold off his marker and get to the byline, sliding the ball across the box and finding Ryan Kelliher who tapped home from no more than two yards out. 

The Kingdom lead was not long-lived, however, as just three minutes later the away side equalised through James O’Leary. The Cobh man cut inside from the left-hand side, opening up his body and slotting into the corner past Tuta. 

Things began to heat up after the goals, with both Daniel Okwute and James O’Leary picking up a yellow each for a bit of a scrap following a tackle the Cobh man was not best pleased with. 

Kerry piled the pressure on in the final few minutes of the tie, gaining more corners in the final two minutes of normal time than they had to that point. Ryan Kelliher had a huge chance to steal a late winner after Okwute swung in a low cross which found the forward, and after turning got his shot off but Burke was down to save well. 

Into four added minutes at the end of the tie, Kerry kept up the intensity but could not work a game-winning opportunity and after dominating most of the match Cobh Ramblers were also pleased to leave Tralee with a point.