Kerry FC 0
Cobh Ramblers 2
Murt Murphy reports from Mounthawk Park
COBH RAMBLERS SHOWED their experience and class at a windswept Mounthawk Park to punish Kerry FC with two well-taken goals.
Tiernan O’Brien and Jack Doherty scored the Cobh goals on a historic night for Kerry soccer, which saw 1200 fans in attendance in Tralee.
Cobh dominated the early exchanges. Kerry, by contrast, were nervy while also playing against a strong wind.
The visitors were threatening the Kingdom defence with regularity and created three decent chances in the opening 20 minutes.
Wilson Waweru was causing havoc down the left as O’Brien and Doherty sprayed the ball left and right.
O’Brien forced Wayne Guthrie to save at his near post in the fifth minute and shortly after, Waweru was fouled but O’Brien was thwarted again by Guthrie.
Kerry gradually got to grips with the Cobh attacks. Shane Guthrie showed all his League of Ireland experience with some powerful headers and good clearances, while Kevin Williams was keeping pace with Cobh danger man Waweru.
But just as Kerry appeared to have weathered the storm, Cobh took the lead in the 42nd minute.
A Doherty free kick was heading for the top corner, only for Guthrie to launch himself to his left and turn the ball behind for a corner.
From the ensuing set piece, Doherty showed lovely skill to play the ball across the box and O’Brien volleyed home powerfully.
Kerry almost equalised within a minute when Trip Vrljicak went on a solo run from the halfway line, but his shot was scuffed and just drifted behind.
The hosts introduced Leonardo Gaxha for the second half and within a minute of the restart, the former Sheffield United striker gained possession before turning his marker and firing a rocket towards the bottom corner. However, Lee Steacy dived full length to his left to turn it behind for a corner, which Kerry wasted.
Billy Dennehy’s men were now more competitive, as Gaxha was showing his class and the wind started to play havoc with the Cobh kick-outs.
Kerry were denied an equaliser in the 63rd minute — firstly, when a Gaxha shot was cleared off the line. There were then calls for handball off the subsequent corner, and from the next set-piece, Spillane denied Steacy.
At the other end, an error at the back led to Guthrie handling the ball on the edge of his box, and Doherty drilled the free kick low into the bottom corner to hand Cobh a 2-0 lead against the run of play.
Sean Steacy went close to grabbing a consolation goal, but Cobh Ramblers ultimately played out the final 10 minutes without too many problems.
However, despite an ultimately anti-climactic opening night, Dennehy’s Kerry did show plenty of potential and should be competitive in this league.
Kerry FC: Wayne Guthrie Graham O’Reilly, Kevin Williams, Shane Guthrie, Kalen Spillane, Sean O’Connell, Sean McGrath (Leonardo Gaxha, HT), Matt Keane, Ronan Teahan (Kennedy Amechi, 80), Sean Kennedy (Nathan Gleeson, 57), Tripimir Vrljicak (Ryan Kelliher, HT)
Cobh Ramblers: Lee Steacy, Michael McCarthy, Cian Browne, Brendeán Frahill, Charlie Lyons, Wilson Waweru (Jake Hegarty, 70), Jack Doherty (David Bosnjak, 85), Luke Desmond (Callum Stringer, 85), Dale Holland (Pierce Phillips, 64), Tiernan O’Brien (Justin Eguaibor, 70), Jason Abbott.
Referee: Declan Toland (Roscommon).
Tonight’s other First Division results
- Treaty United 0-1 Bray
- Wexford 0-3 Waterford
- Finn Harps 1-2 Galway United.