Cobh make return in style

Cobh Ramblers 5 Wexford Youths 0

Demoted in 2009 because of financial problems, Ramblers reintroduced themselves in the most emphatic fashion — an attacking performance more akin to a side that have been playing together years, and a solid defensive showing which kept a poor Youths at bay with ease.

For Hill though, it was a long time coming: “Down the years, it felt like this night would never arrive, but of course it’s great it finally has. It’s been worth the wait. We only had three pre-season friendlies and I think there was actually a bit of rustiness from us. We could have scored more than five, but it bodes well. I was optimistic we would do well but if you told me this six weeks ago, I’d have snapped your hands off for it.”

Ramblers settled the contest with a blistering eight-minute spell nearing half-time, but it was Conor Meade who broke the deadlock 15 minutes in after Martin Deady weaved his way in from the left to set up the striker. His finish, low to the net, gave Graham Doyle no chance. Alan O’Flynn added a second soon after the half hour, kick-starting the burst which put the game to bed. Deady, who ended up with three assists and a goal, struck two minutes later when capitalising on a defensive error to make it 3-0, before Meade notched his second five minutes before the break when lofting the ball over Doyle.

The second half descended into drabness, with a deluge cutting the pitch up badly, but substitute Jonathan Spillane rounded the evening off with a neat finish two minutes before the final whistle.

Cobh are back in action tonight when they face Waterford United in the opening round of the EA Sports Cup.

Meanwhile, Roddy Collins’s first game in charge of Athlone ended in stalemate as Mervue United held one of the favourites for promotion to a scoreless draw.

COBH RAMBLERS: Birdsall; Long, Collins, Fitzgerald, John Meade; Deady, Bhandarkar, O’Shea, O’Flynn; O’Neill (Spillane 81), Conor Meade (Rocks 83).

WEXFORD YOUTHS: Doyle; Clarke (McCabe 57), Croke, Carr, Corcoran; Mulcahy, Nolan, Molloy (Nolan 57), Broaders; Hawe, Keenan.

Referee: Jim McKell (Tipperary).