Gary Delaney wheels away in delight after his headed goal.
Cobh Ramblers – 0
Waterford United recorded their best result of the season on Friday night last at the RSC when they completely outplayed a Cobh Ramblers team who brought absolutely nothing to the party. The Co Cork outfit, who are managed by the former Blues assistant manager Martin Cambridge, were just not good enough to cope with Tommy Griffin’s charges and although three of the goals came from set pieces there is no doubt whatsoever that the hosts were by far the most impressive team.
The home side showed six changes from the team that had lost narrowly to Longford Town the previous week.
Kevin Burns, Shaun Corcoran, Thomas Croke, Willie John Kiely and Kynan Rocks replaced Matthew Connor, Conor Whittle, Shane Murray, Patrick Fitzgerald, Thomas Whitty and Vinny Sullivan.
Waterford created the first chance of the game after six minutes when Jack Doherty sent over a corner from the left that found the head of Paddy Barrett inside the penalty area but the central defender header wide of Robert Birdsall’s goal. It came as no real surprise that the home side struck for the opening goal of the game on 22 minutes when Jack Doherty sent over another flag kick from the right side that was missed by Gary Delaney but when the ball broke to Willie John Kiely, he blasted it to the roof of the net from deep inside the penalty area.
Kiely went close to adding his second goal on 25 minutes when he got on the end of a cross from Kevin O’Connor but after his shot was saved by keeper Birdsall into the path of Philip Drohan, he blazed wide of the target as Cobh failed to get a foothold into the game.
Philip Drohan takes control against Cobh Ramblers at the RSC last Friday night.
Cobh Ramblers were reduced to ten men on 63 minutes when Chris McCarthy picked up his second yellow card from referee Michael O’Connor and from the resulting Jack Doherty free kick from the right side, Gary Delaney powered an unstoppable header to the corner of the net past a motionless Ramblers keeper Birdsall. Doherty, who had a brilliant game for the Blues, nearly got on the scoresheet with a quite superb effort on 82 minutes when he burst into the penalty area but his cracking left-footed strike was magnificently turned around the left hand post by Robert Birdsall.
Paul Quilty should have scored his sides’ fourth goal on 87 minutes but he fired over the bar from a great position after a superb through ball from Willie John Kiely.
Quilty however made up for a miss when he did find the back of the Cobh Ramblers net less than 60 seconds later when he did superbly well to get on the end of another Jack Doherty delivery but after his header was saved brilliantly, the striker made no mistake with the rebound.
Willie John Kiely who hit two goals for the Blues.
COBH RAMBLERS: Robert Birdsall, Brendan Frahill, Anthony O’Donnell, Craig Burns,Chris McCarthy, Robert Waters, Keith O’Flynn, George Gill (Danny Barry ‘81),Bobby Donoghue, Alan O’Flynn, Jonathan Spillane ( Jonathan Creamer ‘46)
REFEREE: Michael O’Connor (Kildare).
