THERE WERE MAJOR upsets in the SSE Airtricity League First Division on Friday night as Shelbourne and Bray Wanderers, the bookies’ favourites to win the title, both suffered defeat.
Cobh Ramblers had lost four of their opening five fixtures in the league this season but stunned Shelbourne at St Colman’s Park. Second-half goals from Jaze Kabia and Denzil Fernandes put the Cork side in complete control.
Ciaran Kilduff halved the deficit, however his 85th-minute strike would act only as a consolation, with the Reds enduring more frustration with Greg Moorehouse sent off in stoppage time.
At Ferrycarrig Park winless Wexford FC got their campaign up and running with their first victory of the season. Goals from Emmet Nugent and Jack Doherty saw top-of-the-table Bray come up short.
What a night of results in the First Division!
— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) March 22, 2019
Big wins for @CobhRamblersFC, @DroghedaUnited, @LongfordTownFC and @WexfordFC!
➡️ https://t.co/C17zpOhi1u #LOI#GreatestLeagueInTheWorld #LightUpYourNights pic.twitter.com/9ekgJkCBgA
Longford Town, meanwhile, came out on top in the Midlands El Clasico on Friday night. Sam Verdon bagged the winner after 69 minutes as Neale Fenn’s men jump up into fourth place.
A dismal start to 2019 continued on Friday for Galway United. The Eamonn Deacy Park outfit have fallen to ninth place after Mark Doyle’s first-half striake saw Drogheda United snatch all three points at Terryland.
Tonight’s results see Shelbourne remain top of the First Division despite their shock result in Cobh. However paired with Bray’s defeat, the table has opened up significantly with promotion hopefuls like Longford and Drogheda given a big bonus combined with their own wins.
SSE Airtricity League First Division results:
- Cobh Ramblers 2-1 Shelbourne
- Athlone Town 0-1 Longford Town
- Galway United 0-1 Drogheda United
- Wexford FC 2-0 Bray Wanderers
Murray Kinsella and Andy Dunne dissect Ireland’s disappointing Six Nations campaign, and discuss the pros and cons of rugby’s new law proposals in the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly:
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