Details

Date Time League Season
7 August 2021 7:00 pm LOI Men's First Division 2021

Match Report

Cobh and Athlone finish scoreless

A competitive affair ultimately produced little as neither Cobh Ramblers nor Athlone Town managed to find the back of the net in their First Division meeting at St Colmans Park tonight.

Both teams had decent chances throughout the game, but nothing concrete. The main talking point may be the officiating, as Ramblers had multiple penalty chances waved away and saw Charlie Lyons sent off.

Cobh finished with nine men, after Ben O'Riordan was dismissed in the closing minutes, following a foul on Glen McAuley.

Athlone started the brighter of the two sides. Tunmise Sobowale in particular had a good first half. Two minutes in, he created the first chance of the game, bursting down the right and firing a low drilled cross into the Cobh area. Conor Barry got on the end of it, but his effort was comfortably over.

Five minutes later Cobh nearly found themselves behind again. They gave the ball away sloppily at the back and Glen McAuley pounced. The former Liverpool man cut onto his left and sought the bottom left corner, but Sean Barron got down and pushed it wide.

Around the twenty minute mark Cobh decided it was their turn to have a good chance. Danny O’Connell burst into the area, looking for space on the left hand side. He diverted course to take the chance on his right, bending one towards the top right of Schligermann’s net. His effort went just wide of the post, however.

Next great chance came right before the break from Darren Murphy. A corner for Cobh resulted in the ball falling for anyone in the box and it was Murphy who tried his luck, latching onto it with his left foot. His effort sailed over however.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half produced little entertainment but it got interesting again after the hour mark. Schlingermann produced two good successive saves before a major talking point came. Ian Turner in the Athlone box had his back turned to goal with the ball at his feet and while attempting to turn went down. The referee felt there wasn’t enough contact and waved away any penalty shouts.

With just over 20 minutes to go Cobh had another shout. The ball was floated inside and a scrum went up in the air to claim the ball. The ball passed but Cobh felt there had been a foul. Ben O’Riordan was booked for his complaints, which would prove costly.

Momentum swung away from Cobh in the 73rd minute when Charlie Lyons saw red. Lyons under little duress from Glen McAuley attempted to play a ball back to Barron. His ball was poor and McAuley pounced, drawing a last man foul from Lyons. The ref had little choice here.

James Doona had Athlone’s best chance of the second half when he cut onto his right foot, but his effort was pushed wide by Barron, capping off what might be a man of the match performance from the Cobh shot stopper.

Nathan O’Connell nearly became the late hero on the brink of injury time when he cut onto his right after a beautiful switch from Turner. Schlingermann stayed calm however, and dealt with the shot straight at him.

A costly moment came in injury time when McAuley once again was through. O’Riordan fouled him on the edge of the area and received a second yellow. The ensuing free deflected off the wall and went just wide, which proved to be the final kick of the game.

Draw doesn’t benefit either side really. Both needed a win to keep pace in the promotion race, but dropped points. Cobh face Cork in the real capital derby next week and will have to do so without their main centre half pairing. Athlone on the other hand head to the UCD Bowl and manager Adrian Carberry will hope tonight was enough to dispel the midweek rumours.

Cobh Ramblers

1Sean Barron Goalkeeper
2John Kavanagh Defender
4Lee Devitt Midfielder
5Ben O’Riordan Defender 69'
90'
6Charlie Lyons Defender 73'
7Ian Turner Midfielder
15David O’Leary Midfielder
16Darren Murphy 17 Forward
18Danny O’Connell 9 Midfielder
20Nathan O’Connell Forward
26Fionn Duggan 39 Midfielder
22Corey Chambers Goalkeeper
3Darryl Walsh Defender
9Killian Cooper 18 Forward
10Jake Hegarty Forward
12Naythan Coleman Defender
14Stephen O’Leary Midfielder
17Cian Murphy 16 Defender
19James McCarthy Defender
39Jason Abbott 26 Midfielder

Athlone Town

16Micheál Schlingermann Goalkeeper
2Aidan Friel Defender
4Daniel McKenna Midfielder 67'
6Killian Cantwell Defender
8Jamie Hollywood Midfielder
14James Doona Midfielder
15Conor Barry Midfielder
17Garry Comerford Defender 29'
21Dylan Hand Defender 69'
23Tunmise Sobowale 11 Defender, Midfielder 30'
25Glen McAuley Forward
50Tommy Holland Goalkeeper
5Scott Delaney Defender
11Stephen Meaney 23 Midfielder
13David Brookes Defender
18Oisin Duffy Midfielder
19Brandon McCann Midfielder
22Ray O’Sullivan
24Katiego Mashingo
  • 90'

    Full time. Good game that produced some talking points, but ultimately the teams share the spoils as both come away scoreless.

  • 90'

    Ensuing free hits the wall and heads wide. Could hear the sighs of relief from the home fans.

  • 90'

    Another red! O'Riordan fouls McAuley through on goal and picks up a second yellow. Cobh down to nine.

  • 88'

    O'Connell with a chance to be the hero late here. Turner played a beautiful cross field switch and O'Connell cut on to his right and let fly, but the effort was straight at Schlingermann.

  • 82'

    Barron with another big save. Doona again cuts onto his right, but Barron pushed it out for a corner.

  • 73'

    Red for Cobh! Lyons takes down the last man after a poor ball back and ultimately took one for the team. Shame for Cobh as momentum had begun to swing their way.

  • 69'

    Cobh had another penalty call that resulted in the referee deliberating with his assistant, but again ruled against them. Hand and O'Riordan picked up yellows, presumably for dissent.

  • 63'

    Turner goes down in the box, but it's waved away by the referee. Could be a crucial call.

  • 60'

    Cobh with two good chances from successive corners. Only talking point of the second half really. Still a good tempo but neither side can create much.

  • 46'

    And we're back. Athlone get us underway for the final 45.

  • 45'

    Half time and it's scoreless at the break. Been a good game with chances for both teams, but nothing concrete. Second half to come.

  • 43'

    Murphy latches on to a loose ball in the box and tries his luck. Wasn't able to keep it down, however.

  • 40'

    Five minutes out from the break and it's a good game. Fewer chances in the last fifteen minutes or such, but the tempo is still there.

  • 26'

    Turner with a free. Ball was always rising though.

  • 24'

    Schlingermann with two good saves here.

  • 22'

    Another good Doona chance. Cut on to his right and attempted to find the bottom corner, but Barron once again got down and made a good save.

  • 20'

    Best chance for Cobh so far. Danny O'Connell burst into the box and took it onto his right and attempted to curl it into the top right. Effort went just wide.

  • 11'

    Doona with a good chance for Athlone from a corner. Took too much out of the ball, however. Athlone seem dangerous early.

  • 7'

    Big chance for Athlone. Cobh give it away sloppily and McAuley pounces, cutting on to his left and testing Barron, who did well to get down and push it away.

  • 2'

    Early Athlone chance. Sobowale bursts down the right and fires a cross to Barry, who hits over.

  • 1'

    Cobh get us underway.

  • Minutes applause for the late John O'Rourke Sr, a true Ramblers great, before kickoff in St Colmans Park tonight.

  • Kickoff is five minutes away. Conditions could end up playing a role here.

  • Athlone lineup now in too.

  • Cobh lineup is now in.

  • Hello and welcome to finalwhistle.ie for tonight's First Division clash between Cobh Ramblers and Athlone Town, I'm Seán Comber and I'll be updating you on tonight's events.

Ground

St. Colman's Park
Saint Colman\'s Park, Norwood Park, Cobh Urban, Cobh Municipal District, County Cork, Munster, P24 F252, Ireland

Formerly DCU Journalism, covering mainly Athlone teams for finalwhistle.ie