Rock in need of a miracle after heavy defeat

NAVAN Cosmos all but ended Rock’s tenure in the top flight with the champions running out comfortable winners in the end at Sandy Lane on Friday night to stay in the title chase.

With only one game left at home against Duleek it’s well out of Rock’s hands to save their own necks. They entered the weekend a point ahead of Duleek who had three games in hand, and due to play the other contenders Kingscourt for automatic relegation on Sunday.

The Seasiders could ill afford to have the raft of injuries which they carried into this game, with young defenders Liam Keenan and Jack Keenan ruled out, and several other players lined out less than 100% and meant John Sharkey was called in at the last minute as a substitute and was pressed into action after not playing for some considerable time.

Their problems were exacerbated by losing Ed Maguire after 23 minutes and Ross Quigley seven minutes from the break, both due to injury.

Only four minutes after Maguire’s departure they conceded a really killer blow of a goal, with captain Conor Rafferty dispossessed leaving a Cosmos player was straight through on goal and gave goalkeeper Paul Scanlon no chance.

Cosmos pulled two goals clear after 66 minutes as Rock appealed in vain for offside.

Disheartened at this stage they suffered another setback when the clearly injury hampered Rafferty made way for Dessie McKeown, another struggling with injury.

Cosmos made it three-nil 11 minutes from time, with an exquisitely taken goal, chipped over the goalkeeper.

And they completed a sorry night for Rock with a softly conceded fourth goal from a header at the near post from a corner three minutes from time. ROCK: Paul Scanlon, Brendan Rogers, Shane O’Callaghan, Conor Rafferty (Dessie McKeown 68), Ross Quigley (John Sharkey 38), Ed Maguire (Esanhlgano Pjetra 23), Paddy Reilly, Phelim Joyce, Kitzito Ekwueme (Tomiwa Badun 82), Derek Delany, David Ward.