Early Cobh goals shatter Longford Town in heavy defeat

Cobh Ramblers . . . 5    Longford Town . . . 0 

With the smallest budget in the entire Airtricity League, it was always going to be a tough struggle for Longford Town and a reality check materialised at St Colman’s Park on Friday night. 

Shattered by the concession of a couple of early goals with just five minutes gone on the clock, the midlanders ended up suffering a heavy defeat against a stronger Cobh side.

On the evidence of this emphatic win, the Co Cork club are genuine contenders for a place in the promotion play-offs.

It is a different story for Longford who will be hoping to achieve their first win this season when they take on another Southern outfit, Kerry FC, at Bishopsgate next Saturday, kick-off 7.30pm. 

Backboned by a few former Cork City players, Cobh maintained their unbeaten run thanks to a lightning start which yielded those quickfire goals from Samuel Bellis and Shane Griffin, the latter on target from a well struck free-kick. 

Longford did create chances with the best opportunity in the first half a goalbound strike from Aaron Doran that was blocked. 

Whatever hope the visitors had of getting back into contention were dashed when a Barry Coffey header produced a killer third goal for Cobh in the 37th minute.  

Coffey scored again in the 56th minute and Longford’s tale of woe was complete when substitute David Bosnjak found the back of the net for the Ramblers in the 82nd minute. 

COBH RAMBLERS: Timothy Martin; John O’Donovan, Niall O’Keeffe (Jason Abbott 68 mins), Shane Griffin, Barry Coffey, Cian Murphy (Tiernan O’Brien 70 mins), Cian Coleman (Nolan Evers 75 mins), Jonas Häkkinen, Shane Griffin (Brendan Frahill 68 mins), Dale Holland, Samuel Bellis (David Bosnjak 68 mins).

LONGFORD TOWN: Harry Halwax; Osaze Irhue, Andrew Spain, Eric Yoro, Dean O’Shea; Emre Topcu (Etoile Emmanuel Milongo 64 mins); Dean George (Jamal Ibrahim 79 mins), Pharrell Manuel (Francis Campbell 64 mins), Aaron Doran (Ross Fay 64 mins), Joshua Giurgi; Daragh Murtagh (Mohammad Boudiaf 64 mins). 

Referee: Thomas Joyce.