Barry Coffey brace caps Cork City's demolition derby win over Cobh Ramblers

A very impressive City performance sees them leapfrog Ramblers into eighth place

Fri, 13 Aug, 2021 - 22:44

Shane Donovan

Cork City 4 Cobh Ramblers 0

Cork City put back-to-back wins together for the first time this season after a crucial win over neighbours Cobh Ramblers at Turner’s Cross.

A very impressive City performance, with two goals from Barry Coffey and one each from Beineón O’Brien-Whitmarsh and Cian Murphy, sees them leapfrog Ramblers into eighth place.

City were unchanged from their away win against Galway last time out, with captain Gearóid Morrissey and Jonas Hakkinen remaining on the sidelines due to injury. Steven Beattie returned to the City bench, where last week’s match-winner Sean Kennedy also found himself.

The Ramblers’ team sheet showed three changes, two of which were enforced as centre-halves Charlie Lyons and Ben O’Riordan received red cards last week against Athlone Town.

The first five minutes saw some early challenges going in from both sides as they looked to gain a foothold in the game. The deadlock was broken in the seventh minute after a clearance by City left-back Ronan Hurley saw O’Brien-Whitmarsh beat Ramblers’ keeper Sean Barron to a ball the Cobh man had originally looked favourite for. Barron’s hesitancy was capitalised on by the City number nine, who lofted the ball into the empty net.

As the game progressed, chances were afforded to both sides. City midfielder Alec Byrne spurned a glorious chance to give the home side a two-nil lead. After finding space down the side of the Cobh defence he could only drag his shot wide of the goal.

This was followed by a chance for ex-City player Pierce Phillips, just after the quarter-hour mark. He found space on the right wing, skipped past Hurley, and unleashed a shot at goal. His effort beat Mark McNulty but the woodwork would prove to be the City netminder’s friend on this occasion.

The Cobh defence struggled to get to grips with the pace of the City frontmen but the first half was not all in favour of the home side in what was a scrappy opening where both sides struggled to hold possession or control the proceedings.

City started the second half on the front foot and were able to double their lead in the 56th minute. A typical mazy run from Dylan McGlade saw the winger get a shot off at goal, which Barron was only able parry into the path of Coffey, who slotted home on the rebound to score his first City goal.

City would add to their lead three minutes later, with Cian Murphy’s pace proving too much for Cobh centre-half Naythan Coleman to handle. The Tipperary native burned his man and finished low into the bottom corner to give his side a three-goal cushion. Poor defending by the Cobh man but another impressive finish for Murphy to add to his growing collection.

With a struggling Cobh outfit now looking jaded, the chances kept coming for City. O’Brien-Whitmarsh latched onto a through ball by Gordon Walker but the striker blazed his shot into the side netting.

City capped off a great performance in the 85th minute. Coffey found space inside the Ramblers’ box and calmly finished past Barron in the Cobh goal, his second and his side's fourth of the match to cap an emphatic win for City at the Cross.

CORK CITY (4-4-2): McNulty; Walker; Coleman, Honohan (Holland, 82), Hurley; Crowley, Byrne, Coffey, McGlade (Bargary, 78); Murphy (Kennedy, 68), O’Brien-Whitmarsh.

COBH (4-3-3): Barron; Phillips, Kavanagh, Coleman, Devitt; N O’Connell, O’Leary, Murphy (Cooper, 56); D O’Connell (S O’Leary, 63), Griffin (Hegarty 74), Turner (Drinan, 74).

Referee: Oliver Moran.