Cobh Ramblers strike late to sink Finn Harps

Goals from captain Gary Buckley and Rhys Kelly-Noonan  gave Cobh Ramblers a fully merited victory over Finn Harps and extended their winning run to three games.

Gary Buckley opened the scoring for Cobh Ramblers against Finn Harps. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity First Division: Finn Harps 0 Cobh Ramblers 2 (Buckley 72, Kelly-Noonan 81)

Cobh Ramblers notched up a third straight win with captain Gary Buckey and Rhys Kelly-Noonan striking in a nine minute spell in the final quarter to deservedly beat Finn Harps at a sodden Finn Park.

Fran Rockett’s side, with a gale behind them, almost scored straight from the kick-off when a speculative long range shot from Dylan McGlade was saved by Lorenzo Piaia.

Harps then went close on 13 minutes through Nathan Lumingo whose stinging shot was well saved by Timothy Martin before Gourdie was nearly in with a firm header just off target.

McGlade, the ubiquitous Rhys Brennan and Curtin also threatened for lively Cobh in a surprisingly first half.

Cobh were unlucky not to score when a Mikey Carroll 35 yard shot smacked off the bar just after the hour mark and although the loose ball fell to Gourdie he was denied by a last ditch intervention by Conor Tourish.

Callum Holohan was then thwarted by a good save by Piaia and from the resulting corner Buckley stabbed the ball home.

Impressive Cobh deservedly got a second in the 81st minute with Kelly-Noonan capitalising on a defensive error as Harps suffered a first home loss of the campaign.

FINN HARPS: Piaia, Cullen, Tourish, Brogan (Johnston, 79 mins), Bradley-Walsh, Monteiro (Bradley, 57 mins), Ajibola (McHugh, 63 mins), McNamee (McDaid, 79 mins), McAteer, Lumingo (Zerrouk, 57 mins), Fanle.

COBH RAMBLERS: Martin, Honohan, Frahill, Gourdie (O’Neill, 86 mins), McGlade (Adenopo, 80 mins), Brennan, Curtin, Crowe (O’Halloran, 88 mins), Kelly-Noonan, Carroll (Griffin, 80 mins), Buckley.

Referee: M. Patchell.