Comforable Cobh extend unbeaten run

COBH Ramblers yesterday moved to fourth in the First Division after a comfortable 3-1 win at bottom of the table Limerick. This extends Cobh's unbeaten run to seven games.

Tommy Butler put them ahead after 15 minutes when he pounced on a rebound from a 40 yard Jason Lynch free kick which Limerick goalkeeper, Eddie Hickey, was unable to hold.

The division's top scorer, Antonio Izzi, made it 2-0 six minutes into the second half when Hickey made a mess of a back pass from Dave Carmody and Izzi stole in to round the keeper and walk the ball into the net.

Limerick were thrown a lifeline on 67 minutes with a bizarre goal when Paul Carr's inswinging corner went straight into the Cobb net. Cobh remained in command, however, and got a third goal four minutes from time when Rory O'Connor latched onto Anthony Kenneally's through ball to chip Hickey from 20 yards.

Kilkenny City failed to regain the leadership of the division after they had to come from two goals behind to salvage a point against Monaghan United at Buckley Park on Saturday night.

Monaghan - they played virtually all the second half with ten men after Derek O'Neill was sent off following an off the ball incident with Kilkenny's Paul Cashin, who was booked - raced into a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Aaron Shearer scored his fourth goal in five games to give Monaghan a 15th minute lead and Lee Kind added the second from the penalty, at five minutes later after Ian Douglas had been taken down.

John Power pulled a goal back following a Cashin corner on 31 minutes but Kilkenny had to pound the Monaghan defence for much of the rest of the game before getting their equaliser four minutes from time when substitute Pat McCarthy looped a header from Kevin Kelly's cross over Monaghan goalkeeper Robbie O'Dowd.

Athlone Town stepped up their promotion challenge as they moved into third place with an important 1-0 win away to Galway United; a goalkeeping error by Eddie van Boxtel gifting them the goal after 24 minutes. When van Boxtel fumbled a long range shot from Rod de Khors, the Athlone player/manager, Terry Eviston, reacted quickest to the loose ball to square it for Trevor Molloy who tapped in.

Injury ravaged St Francis inflicted a fourth successive defeat on Longford Town when beating them 3-1 at Strokestown Road.

Ciaran Duffy gave St Francis an eighth minute lead when heading home Fran Hitchcock's corner. Longford levelled three minutes later when Padraig Dully set ups Chris Malone to score. St Francis restored their lead on the half hour when a quickly taken Paul McNally free kick deceived the Longford defence for John Sayers to steal in and head past keeper Mark Gilchrist. Hitchcock then punished a mistake by Malone to add St Francis' third goal in the 62nd minute.