Sunday 29 September 2024 at 4.00pm
McCarthy Insurance Group Premier Senior Football Championship Quarter Final
Clonakilty
V
Nemo Rangers
2-13 (19 pts)
0-19 (19 pts)
At Bandon
...

When Nemo Rangers' three-in-a-row quest needed a lifeline against Clonakilty

A pointed penalty in the 69th minute kept the city side alive against 14-man Clon in 2007

While there have been just three winners of the Andy Scannell Cup since 2016 – Castlehaven, Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s – the period has included just one instance of back-to-back victories.
That Nemo’s wins of 2019 and 2020 stand out is illustrative of the close battle between the top three. It’s certainly a far cry from the 2000s, when the city club enjoyed a near-monopoly on supremacy.
Having opened the new millennium with three titles on the bounce – their first three-in-a-row – it might have seemed like Nemo’s dominance had come to an end as the Castlehaven triumphed in 2003 and the Carbery divisional side claimed victory in 2004. Instead, what followed was a reign which had never been seen before in Cork football.
Apart from Nemo themselves, three consecutive titles was something that had previously been done by Lees, Beara and Clonakilty but never had a side managed to do four on the trot.
Nemo did that from 2005-08 – though the run could very easily have stopped after two. On Sunday, Nemo will face Clon in a quarter-final in Bandon (2.15pm), with the West Cork side managed by Martin O’Brien – 17 years ago, he was part of a Clon side that came agonisingly close to ending Nemo’s hopes in high summer.
Nemo had enjoyed a big first-round win over Ilen Rovers – few would have expected that Ilen would go on to reach the final through the back door – while Clon lost their opener to Ballincollig but bounced back with an impressive win over the Barrs, who would end up being relegated that year.
In Newcestown on Friday night, July 6, Clon’s cause looked to have shipped an early blow when Tony Anglin received a red card in the opening minutes. However, while Nemo did move into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead after that, Clon had drawn level at 0-6 each by half-time.
While James Masters – curbed by Diarmuid O’Brien for long spells – did curl over a pair of beautiful points to put Nemo 0-8 to 0-7 in front, 14-man Clon refused to wilt. Though place-kicking had been a flaw for them during the game, Colin O’Donovan took over the free-taking duties and he levelled before converting another in the 62nd minute.
Clon could sense a famous victory but injury time ran on and on. While Nemo wasted chances to level, they were awarded a penalty in the 69th minute. Masters opted to kick over the bar as it finished 0-9 each – while Clon would have another chance, they were far from happy with referee Niall Barrett.
With Cork progressing in the All-Ireland SFC, the replay was delayed and would not take place until Saturday, August 25, just six days after Billy Morgan’s side had beaten Meath at the semi-final stage.
Nemo were aggrieved at the scheduling, given how they had such limited access to their county players, but they still did enough to get the job done at the second time of asking.
Seán O’Brien, David Niblock and Paul Kerrigan (four) all had points as Ephie Fitzgerald’s side established a half-time lead of 0-8 to 0-3, Maurice McCarthy and Peter Morgan on top in the aerial stakes.
However, on the restart, Seán Nagle made inroads in that area for Clon and points from Colm Callanan and Conor McManus brought them back to within a point. Unfortunately for them, it would be as close as they would come – as in the first game, Nemo were to be awarded a penalty, albeit less contentiously.
David Kearney was the player fouled and he was also the man to convert from the 13m line. Kerrigan pointed soon after and a 1-9 to 0-7 lead in the final quarter looked commanding. They would not score again though and Clon looked to respond once more. Conrad Murphy sent over two frees before Donal Murphy had a goal chance, brilliantly saved by Brían Morgan.
That led to a 45, which Colin O’Donovan sent over, and he added another to leave just one in it but they didn’t get a chance to find a leveller as Nemo won, 1-9 to 0-11.
Three more wins, against Na Piarsaigh, St Nick’s and Ilen again, ensured they stayed top of the tree for the third year in a row and the sixth time in eight seasons.


...

Premier SFC: Race for the Andy Scannell Cup hots up

Three tasty quarter-finals and a massive relegation play-off game taking place this weekend

The race for the Andy Scannell Cup hots up this weekend with decisive games in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC.

The second of the three quarter-finals is on in Charlie Hurley Park in Bandon on Sunday as Nemo Rangers face Clonakilty at 2.15pm. The teams met at the same stage 12 months ago when Nemo won 0-5 to 0-4 in the worst weather conditions imaginable.

It has been typical Nemo so far this season, three group wins over Ballincollig, Éire Óg and Newcestown respectively without ever getting out of second gear. This is normally the stage of the championship where the Trabeg side click into gear. Paul Kerrigan is still one of the main players in this Nemo team, with Mark Cronin and Ross Corkery supplying the bulk of the scores.

Clonakilty had stumbled in their first two group games this year, losing to Castlehaven and throwing away a six-point lead to draw with Carbery Rangers. Martin O’Brien’s side then hammered St Michael’s 2-18 to 1-6 in the final group game which should give them confidence going into this one. Goalkeeper Mark White, Dan Peet, Maurice Shanley, Conor Daly and Darragh Gough are all big players for Clon.


...

Nemo rematch gives Clonakilty a shot at shattering the 'big three' of Cork football

Selector Eoin Ryan feels there's no reason they can't win the repeat of last year's quarter-final

Marked by many as the team best placed to tackle the big three – it hasn’t quite gone to plan so far for Clonakilty.

But the Carbery outfit finished the group stages with an emphatic win over St Michael’s, a result that pits them against last year’s beaten finalists in Nemo Rangers, the same side that defeated them at the quarter-final stage last season.

For selector Eoin Ryan, there’s no reason they can’t get the result this time around.

“The reality is, three years ago we were only a point away from St Finbarr’s in a county final,” Ryan begins. “They were beaten in extra time of an All-Ireland semi-final by the All-Ireland champions.

“There’ll be 12 of those guys playing [against Nemo], and what’s after coming into it is young footballers who are good footballers, so we’re confident.”

REPEAT PAIRING

While the game was pushed back a week due to the rain last Sunday, the same decision should have been made with this fixture last year, which was played in torrential conditions.

“Last year's defeat to Nemo shouldn’t have been played at all really,” he admits. “It was a joke, to be honest with you.

“Obviously when you’re beaten ,you look back and you're disappointed, and that was no different. We're disappointed we didn't win.

“We felt that we didn't do ourselves justice either, but that’s the way it is.

“We know what we have, we just want to get them to perform, and once they give us a performance, we're happy with that.

“How far that will take us, is how far it will take us.

This big three – they’re always there or thereabouts, Castlehaven, Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s.
“At the end of the day we look at ourselves and we try and improve, we try and play football to the best of our ability, we try to play football that suits our guys,” Eoin explains. “Every given match is different, what the big three have that other teams don’t have is consistency every year.

“One club might go well for one year, whereas these three do it consistently.

“That’s where we’re aiming to get to, that consistency.

“We’ve a lot of young fellas, the average age would be young enough on our team and we feel like we’re going in the right direction.”

To achieve that consistency has proven to be a real challenge for the other nine teams in the grade, and while Clon have faced some disruptions in that regard, there’s still time to make 2024 a campaign to remember.

“Our goal in the league was to win it and come out of Division 2, which we did successfully. That was a plus, and our aim was to make an impact in the championship.

That's there for us if we want it.
“Overall, our league form was good enough, but I would have been disappointed with us in the final. I don't think we performed, and the first round of the championship I don't think we performed.

“Carbery Rangers, we performed for maybe 45 minutes and then took our foot completely off the pedal, but I thought we performed well enough for the last game.

“The reality is our backs were to the wall – we had to do it. Even a win mightn’t have been enough for us to get through, we had to win well, in case Carbery Rangers beat Castlehaven.

“The championship form, the graph is going the right way. So hopefully we keep it going the right way. We're looking forward to the game against Nemo. Obviously Nemo are Nemo and it's going to be tough, but we feel we're well prepared.”


...

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


...

Premier SFC: Ross Corkery fires Nemo past Clonakilty after penalty drama

The city side now face Mallow in the last four

Nemo Rangers: 0-19 Clonakilty: 2-13 (Nemo win 5-4 penalties)

After a wonderful contest, Nemo Rangers overcame Clonakilty in a penalty shootout after a cracker in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC quarter-final at Charlie Hurley Park in Bandon on Sunday evening.

This was an absorbing encounter, free-flowing with a lot of good scores. The sides couldn’t be separated after normal time and then extra time before Nemo won 5-4 on penalties, as they converted all of their penalties with Conor Horgan, Mark Cronin, Paul Kerrigan, Briain Murphy and Ross Corkery all dispatching their kicks. Corkery only came on having had a slight knock and it was his penalty that finally won the game after Brian White's shot was saved by Micheál Aodh Martin.

Robbie O’Dwyer’s side will now meet Mallow in the semi-final next Sunday and this will certainly take a lot out of them.

They showed character once again here as they have done so many times in the past. Hit for two goals in two minutes around the third quarter mark, Nemo refused to be beaten.

Clonakilty though, similar to last year, will feel the match was there to be won against Nemo, but didn’t grasp the opportunity before it got to the lottery of the penalties. The West Cork side bow out at the quarter-final stage for the second year on the bounce.

Clon elected to be aided by a strong wind in the first 30 minutes and despite kicking the first score through a sweet point from Ross Mannix, they were pegged back when Mark Cronin converted a free. The Brewery Town did go back in front through a long range effort by Conor Daly before Jack Horgan drew parity following good work by Stephen Cronin in the build-up, 0-2 each after eight minutes.

A Daly mark was slotted over for Clon, but despite being helped by the strong wind, they didn’t take advantage as Nemo hit two of the next three points to draw level after an entertaining opening 13 minutes.

The impressive Daly kicked over a 45 for his side, but Nemo were using all their experience to stay in touch and a beauty of an effort from Conor Horgan drew the Trabeg-based outfit level at 0-5 apiece with 10 minutes to the break.

Nemo had their noses in front for the first time after 23 minutes, despite playing against the wind, when Conor Horgan landed a point from a mark. Robbie O’Dwyer’s troops were starting to gain a foothold and three unanswered points gave them a 0-9 to 0-5 advantage with four minutes of the first half remaining. Clon had chances to reduce the deficit but wrong decision making and poor shooting was their downfall in the second quarter. A Ronan Dalton white flag gave Nemo a 0-10 to 0-5 lead at the interval.

On the resumption, with Nemo now having a strong wind advantage, it was Clonakilty that made a more positive start when Mannix pointed even if they made hard work of getting the score. A great point from a free from Kerrigan was a settler for his side, before they were reduced to 14 players for 10 minutes when Alan O’Donovan picked up a harsh black card for a foul on Maurice Shanley after 37 minutes.

The sides traded points as Nemo remained in control, 0-12 to 0-7. But, it was game on when a Darragh Gough free was followed by a goal for Clon, Mannix the goal scorer after 45 minutes following a clever pass by Daly.

The latter then remarkably gave his side a two-point lead when the forward superbly slotted the ball into the top corner of the net with 13 minutes remaining, 2-8 to 0-12. Nemo quickly responded with two points to draw level.

The teams swapped white flags before Nemo sub Ross Corkery nudged his side in front after 56 minutes but Mannix levelled the contest two minutes later, 2-10 to 0-16. The teams once again swapped points as the game went into extra time.

Clonakilty had wind advantage for the first period of extra time, in a half that produced just the one score, which came from a Daly mark for the West Cork team, 2-12 to 0-17.

A 45 from Cronin drew parity with six minutes remaining before the evergreen Kerrigan pointed as everyone was on tenterhooks. Clon sub Brian White held his nerve right at the death to convert a free to send the game to penalties.

It was tense with Nemo prevailing.

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

Clonakilty: C Daly 1-7 (0-2 f, 0-2 m, 0-1 45), R Mannix 1-3, B White 0-2 (0-1 f), D Gough 0-1 f.

NEMO RANGERS: M Aodh Martin; E Nation, C Molloy, B Murphy; K O’Donovan, K Fulignati, S Cronin; A O’Donovan (c), B Cripps; J Horgan, R Dalton, O Whyte; C Horgan, M Cronin, P Kerrigan.

Subs: C McCartan for O Whyte (38), R Corkery for J Horgan, B Hayes for R Dalton (both 52), L Horgan for K O’Donovan (75), A Cronin for K Fulignati (76).

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

Subs: F Murphy for S McEvoy, B White for D Gough (both 59), C O’Donovan for T Clancy (inj), J Leahy for F Murphy (both 70).

Referee: James Bermingham (Bride Rovers).