Kerrigan and Kenny point way for rampant Rangers

Nemo Rangers 0-18 Douglas 0-10

This derby victory will taste very sweet for a young, depleted Nemo side. The club’s winning mentality was again in evidence as some nice craft and a penchant for hard work powered them through to a meeting with Bishopstown or St. Nicks.

The silken skills of Paul Kerrigan at midfield and Ricky Kenny up front - they scored seven points apiece - went a long way to winning this clash for southside bragging rights. But so too did some woeful Douglas shooting - 20 wides over the hour and 12 in the second-half.

Nemo’s tactic of playing Mark Hayes as a third midfielder with Kerrigan and Alex Kelleher was a huge success in the first-half as it totally upset the Douglas rhythm, Eoin Cadogan and Stephen Bermingham never getting into the match.

It was 0- 4 apiece after the opening quarter, but points from Kerrigan and Kenny in the 16th and 19th minutes gave Douglas a taste of what was to come. Nemo finished with three more, despite playing against the breeze, as they opened up the Douglas defence at will to lead 0-9 to 0-5 at the break.

Nemo, despite being outplayed for long periods in the second-half, kept the momentum going, with Steve Twomey and Paud O’Shea in top form in defence, and Kerrigan, Kenny and corner-forward David Kearney calling the shots.

With Kerrigan and Kenny tacking on further points, Douglas looked in dire trouble. Although they battled hard to get back into the game, some appalling shooting from Eoin Cotter, Fergal O’Sullivan, Roy Keating and Mark Harrington proved costly as their title aspirations went up in smoke.

James Moylan did get a Douglas point in the 42nd minute, but it was 0-11 to 0-7 to Nemo entering the final quarter. And their sweet football and clinical finishing in the closing 15 minutes brought a smile to the face of coach Sean Hayes. And he had every reason to, his ‘no-hopers’ were red-hot.

Scorers: Nemo: R. Kenny (0-3 frees), P. Kerrigan (0-2 frees) 0-7 each, P. McCabe, M. Hayes, P. Hogan, D. Kearney 0-1 each.

Douglas: F. O’Sullivan 0-3 (frees), J. Moylan, B. Fitzgerald 0-2 each, S. Bermingham, M. O’Callaghan, P. White 0-1 each.

NEMO RANGERS: R. Heaphy; G. O’Shea, S. Twomey, R. O’Keeffe; C. O’Brien, P. O’Shea, E. Hearne; P. Kerrigan, A. Kelleher; S. O’Callaghan, P. McCabe, R. Kenny; C. Allen, M. Hayes, D. Kearney. Subs: P. Hogan for O’Callaghan, B. McNally for Hayes, C. Weldon for Allen, K. O’Donovan for McCabe.

DOUGLAS: T. O’Connor; J. McCarthy, D. O’Connor, F. Tobin; M. O’Callaghan, N. Heffernan, J. Lane; E. Cadogan, R. Keating; B. Fitzgerald, F. O’Sullivan, J. Moylan; M. Harrington, E. Cotter, S. Bermingham. Subs: P. White for McCarthy, M. O’Sullivan for O’CAllaghan.

Referee: J. Kearney (Na Piarsaigh).

Bishopstown 3-16 St. Michael’s 0-10

IN the second game, a quarter-final clash, Bishopstown - without the influential Denis Crowley, who broke his right hand when he came on as sub with the Cork minor hurlers in their massive victory over Kerry - proved too strong for disjointed St. Michael’s.

Crowley will be out for up to 10 weeks, missing the action with the Cork minor footballers and Coláiste An Spioraid Naoimh’s All Ireland semi-final clash with St. Mary’s, Galway.

Early goals from Colm Murphy and Patrick Cronin set the trend for Bishopstown, who had the issue sealed at the break when leading 2-10 to 0-2. A third goal from Thomas Murray compounded St. Michael’s problems, although they battled to the finish with some nice points from Eric Hegarty.

Scorers: Bishopstown: C. Murphy, P. Cronin, T. Murray 1-3 each, E. Ryan, N. Fehilly, S. O’Neill 0-2 each, A. Coomey 0-1.

St Michaels: E. Hegarty 0-3, C. O’Shea and M. Hayes 0-2 each, D. Lucey, B. Lombard and I. Walsh 0-1 each.

BISHOPSTOWN: K. O’Halloran; B. Murphy, P. O’Callaghan, T. O’Donoghue; M. O’ Donoghue, J. O’Sullivan, T. Creed; C. Murphy, A. Coomey; E. Ryan, S. O’Neill, P. Cronin; T. Murray, E. Deasy, N. Fehilly. Subs: R. Conway for E. Ryan.

ST MICHAEL’S: D. McHale; I. Lyons, S. O’Donoghue, S. Lynch; C. O’Keeffe, M. Hayes, B. Lombard; C. Murphy, I. Walsh; J. Barry, C. O’Reilly, A. O’Donovan; D. Lucey, C. O’Shea, E. Hegarty. Subs: G. O’Leary for J. Barry 24, R. Byrne for I. Walsh 39.

Referee: D. Linehan (Nemo Rangers).