Nemo keep their cool to win shootout thriller against Clon

The city side clinched a semi-final spot but were pushed all the way.

Nemo Rangers 0-19 Clonakilty 2-13 (AET, Nemo win 5-4 on penalties)

It is mentioned elsewhere in this report, but Nemo simply don’t do panic.

Hit for two goals in two minutes around the third quarter mark, Nemo refused to be knocked off stride. Hauled back level at the end of normal and extra-time, they refused to be knocked out on penalties.

In the shootout at the end of this highly entertaining Cork PSFC quarter-final, Clon were first to kick. And Clon found the net with each of their first four kicks. It meant each Nemo kicker had to respond. And each Nemo kicker - Conor Horgan, Mark Cronin, Paul Kerrigan, and full-back Briain Murphy - did respond.

The first blemish came on penalty No.9. Brian White - the sub who kicked Clon level both at the end of normal and extra-time - had his penalty saved by Micheál Aodh Martin.

It presented young Ross Corkery with the opportunity to return Nemo to the last-four of the championship. The Cork U20, and son of Colin, wasn’t the slightest bit put out by the pressure on his shoulders. His shot went low to the right and just snuck under the body of Mark White.

The end of extra-time almost matched the shootout for drama.

Nemo, who didn’t score for the first 14 minutes of extra-time, went in front through a Paul Kerrigan boomer on 77 minutes. As Mark Cronin’s subsequent free sailed over to double the Nemo lead, referee James Bermingham called back the effort as Cronin was adjudged to have encroached beyond where the free was awarded.

Clon took the let off, and a later Cronin missed free, and equalised for the 11th time through Brian White.

We went to extra-time after two subs took centre stage.

Young Bryan Hayes - a real talent absolutely tormented with injuries in recent years - looked to have kicked the winner on the hour mark.

Not to be outdone, Clon sub White kicked a superb point into the wind in the second minute of injury-time to extend this quarter for another 20 minutes at least.

It was a second half of two Clon goals in two minutes and your typical no-panic Nemo response.

Clon needed every bit of those two goals. Behind by 0-10 to 0-5 at the break and now battling uphill into the elements, Ross Manix and Conor Daly hit the net in quick succession.

From five behind and seemingly out of the running to two in front, 2-8 to 0-12. It should be added that Clon’s momentum-shifting green flags arrived while Nemo captain Alan O’Donovan was off the field for what was a harsh black card call.

Nemo, of course, just don't panic. They kicked four of the game's last five points through Kerrigan (two frees), Conor Horgan, and Corkery to go back in front by a point. 2-11 to 0-16.

From there, we went point for point. No separation. No winner. To extra-time, there was a distance to go yet.

Clon elected to play with the wind and build a platform. They elected to play with the wind and force Nemo to chase.

But come half-time, the chasing was for Clon’s. It looked a futile chase. Theirs looked a lost cause.

It had all begun so differently for the West Cork men. Ross Mannix and particularly Conor Daly were using the breeze at their back to kick superb points from distance. And while they weren’t going away from their opponents, they were at least setting the tempo.

At the quarter hour, they were 0-5 to 0-4 ahead and without a single wide. Their second quarter report card would read much differently: no score, five wides, and a sixth short.

Nemo’s second quarter report card read spectacularly. Six unanswered points and a double scores 0-10 to 0-5 interval advantage.

As patient and as intelligent as Nemo’s approach play was, the Clon defence was far too easily picked apart, while Mark White restarts also wobbled.

In one instance, a short White restart to corner-back Martin Scally was picked off the floor by the latter, a free in was promptly awarded, with Kerrigan converting to leave the scoreboard reading 0-9 to 0-5.

Kerrigan turned provider for their last score of the half, assisting Ronan Dalton. The city men finished with five first-half scorers, Clon just two. Nemo’s two-man inside line of Conor Horgan and Mark Cronin were wasting so little and punishing so much every time they were fed.

Horgan and Cronin were still delivering come the shootout. Nemo still standing. Onto Mallow next Sunday. One hour from a fourth final in six years.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: P Kerrigan (0-6, 0-4 frees); M Cronin (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45); C Horgan (0-3, 0-1 mark); J Horgan (0-2); B Cripps, R Dalton, R Corkery, B Hayes (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clonakilty: C Daly (1-7, 0-2 frees, 0-2 marks, 0-2 45s); R Mannix (1-3); B White (0-2, 0-1 free); D Gough (0-1 free).

Nemo Rangers: MA Martin; E Nation, B Murphy, C Molloy; K O’Donovan, K Fulignati, S Cronin; A O’Donovan, B Cripps; O Whyte, R Dalton, J Horgan; P Kerrigan, M Cronin, C Horgan.

Subs: C McCartan for O Whyte (37); R Corkery for Dalton, B Hayes for J Horgan (both 52); L Horgan for K O’Donovan (75); A Cronin for Fulignati (76).

Clonakilty: M White; D Peet, C Kenneally, M Scally; S Murphy, T Clancy, D Lowney; M Shanley, B Ridgeway; R Mannix, S White, S McEvoy; D Gough, G Wharton, C Daly.

Subs: F Murphy for Gough, B White for McEvoy (both 60); C O’Donovan for Clancy (70, inj); J Leahy for Murphy (70).

Referee: J Bermingham