Tempers flare as Nemo edge Valley

Article in the Irish Examiner — Monday, August 9, 2010

Nemo Rangers 0-11 Valley Rovers 0-4

NEMO RANGERS had their expected win over Valley Rovers in the Evening Echo Senior Football Championship at Ballygarvan last night, but it was hard earned.

In a game that was far too physical and resulted in the referee issuing seven yellow cards, it was marred in the final minute by a disgraceful bust up which saw the Rovers corner back Noel O’Donovan receive a straight red card.

Several other players from both sides can consider themselves fortunate not to have suffered similar fates. It was always going to be a tough encounter, but some of the personal duels on and off the ball that went on all over the pitch have no place on a football field.

Not for the first time Nemo’s football got them through. Their slick inter-passing had the Rovers chasing shadows at times, but credit to the Innishannon side, they never gave up the chase, and had Eoin Manning’s effort for a goal not been saved early in the second half which would have drawn the game, it may have turned out differently.

Scores were very slow in coming due to the closeness of the marking, and six minutes elapsed before the first came, a Paul Kerrigan point, and when William Morgan added another soon after, the Valleys who had elected to play with the wind, faced an uphill struggle.

In the Rovers defence Ray O’Donovan and David Lynch were rock solid, they coped well under the constant pressure, but it took them 16 minutes to register their first score, a Fiachra Lynch point.

Seventeen minutes were to elapse before they got their second score by the impressive Kevin Canty, but with Dylan Mehigan posing endless problems with his surging runs from midfield, Nemo finished the half leading 0-4 to 0-2.

They did manage a goal when Rovers keeper Alan Quirke appeared to carry the ball into his own net when challenged, but the referee ruled it out and instead awarded a free out.

Nemo were expected to have matters their own way on the changeover as they turned to play with the wind, but the Rovers hadn’t read the script, and the city side was grateful to an excellent save by their ’keeper Brian Morgan who denied Eoin Manning a certain goal.

Surprisingly the Innishannon side enjoyed more than their share of possession, but they lacked finish before a second Kevin Canty point, a superb individual effort, left just two between the sides after 40 minutes.

The danger of an upset was there and Nemo sensed it, but in a devastating 15-minute spell, they put the game beyond the reach of their opponents with six points in a row, Paul Kerrigan scoring two, and wing back Brian O’Regan, superbly set up by Colin O’Brien, getting on the scoresheet, to lead 0-11 to 0-3.

While the Rovers continued to press forward, there was no way through the Nemo defence in which Derek Kavanagh, Brian O’Regan and Colin O’Brien excelled.

Nemo now await the winners of tomorrow night’s clash between Bishopstown and St Nicks in the quarter-final.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: P Kerrigan 0-4 (1f); W Morgan 0-3; J Masters 0-2 (2f); B O’Driscoll, B O’Regan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Valley Rovers: K Canty 0-2; F Lynch, H O’Donovan (f) 0-1 each.

NEMO RANGERS: B Morgan; D Breen, D Kavanagh, C O’Shea; B O’Regan, P Morgan, C O’Brien; D Mehigan, M Dorgan; P Kerrigan, A Cronin, W Morgan; B O’Driscoll, J Masters, D Kearney.

VALLEY ROVERS: A Quirke; N O’Donovan, D Lynch, B Lehane; F Coughlan, R O’Donovan, R Lehane; C O’Donovan, K Canty; E Manning, H O’Donovan, D Coughlan; S Nolan, F Lynch, G Rice. Subs: R Butler for Rice (35); S Manning for O’Callaghan (40); J Hurley for Nolan (45).

Referee: G Sweeney (Glenville).