- Rory Morrow
- Sat, Jun 08 2024
Cobh Ramblers continued to be Finn Harps’ bogey team as they defeated the Donegal team for the third time this season to boost their playoff ambitions.
Goals from Liam Kervick and David Bosnjak, the latter deep into injury time, earned Cobh the three points to close the gap to midtable Harps.
In a first half of half-chances and mistimed tackles, Dale Holland earned the ire of a few visiting players with some risky challenges on the astroturf.
Striker, Success Edogun fired an effort at Cobh netminder, Darragh Burke before Kervick forced Harps goalie, Conor Walsh to tip his shot over.
David Cawley’s razor-sharp through ball almost had Patrick Ferry in for his second goal of the week, Ferry though, skimmed his attempt off-target.
Cobh then capitalised as Holland found Kervick from a quickly taken set-piece. The forward was ruthless this time to open the scoring.
Inspired by Edogun’s enthusiasm, Harps started the second half all guns blazing with the former Treaty United man forcing Burke to save and then seeing an attempted pass to Cawley drift just ahead of the midfielder.
Ferry fired aother half-chance wide, Edogun again the creator, as Harps chased an equaliser.
With their intensity at maximum, a cracking Cawley sizzler sent Burke sprawling into action, superbly to keep the ball out. Moments later, the Cobh goalkeeper preserved his clean sheet by alertly denying substitute, Sean O’Donnell.
Whilst malice wasn’t really in the match, referee, Mark Moynihan was happily dishing out the yellow cards, like a McDonalds machine rubber-stamping cheese onto a horde of Big Mac burger orders.
That, combined with various changes and canny Cobh game-management, totally disrupted Finn Harps’s flow.
Indeed, with the clock in red, Bosnjak buried a late opportunity beyond Walsh to send the St Colman’s Park home fairthful into delight.
Thursday night football is next for both teams before the June break. Both have tough tasks as they take on two of the current top three with Cobh away at league leaders Cork City in Turner’s cross whilst Harps welcome UCD to Finn Park.
Cobh Ramblers: Darragh Burke; Justin Eguiabor, Dean Larkin, Jack Larkin, Nolan Evers, Liam Kervick (David Eguiabor 84), David Bosnjak (Alessandro De Sanctis 90+3), Dale Holland, Tiernan O’Brien (Glenn Towler 88), Luka De Bervet, Jason Abbott.
Subs not used: Cathal O’Hanlon, Dan Ryan, Oscar Ahern.
Booked: Dale Holland (24), Nolan Evers (63), Dean Larkin (82).
Finn Harps: Conor Walsh; Jamie Watson, Matty Makinson, Noe Baba, Patrick Ferry, Ryan Rainey (Sean O’Donnell 70), Luke O’Brien, Stephen Doherty (Max Johnston 57), David Cawley (Aaron McLaughlin 77), Tony McNamee ©, Success Edogun.
Subs not used: Tim Heimer (gk), Darragh Coyle, Mark Mbuli, Sean O’Donnell, Chris Lotefa.
Booked: Noe Baba (6), Patrick Ferry (24), Tony McNamee (80).
Referee: Mark Moynihan.
Attendance: 1,300.
extratime.com Player of the Match: Darragh Burke (Cobh Ramblers).
