Six of the best from Kearney helps Nemo to clean sweep
The senior title already in the cabinet, the U-21 title sitting in its shadow, there was one more job to complete on Saturday. And, under the lights at Páirc Uí Rinn, they delivered again, this time proving too good for Macroom in adding the Ulster Bank Cork County Premier MFC title to an embarrassment of riches.
Fair play though to a young Macroom side - they have 12 players underage again next season - for running Nemo close for some 45 minutes. In truth, however, once Nemo turned the screw, there was only going to be one destination for the Donie O’Donovan Cup.
A methodical, purposeful team game and some tasty individual displays from wing back Ray O’Keeffe as well as Ricky Kenny, David Kearney and Graham Cummins up front, swung it Nemo’s way and coach Sean Hayes was understandably pleased: “We played some good stuff, especially in the closing minutes of the first-half when we needed to be strong. It’s been ages since our city win but there was no problem motivating this side. You could see that tonight.”
A lively opening half saw two highly competitive units working hard, closing down any space quickly. It was Macroom who made the brighter start. Gearoid Cronin, a tasty player, opened the scoring in the second minute. And they had plenty of chances to add some more. John Ryan should have done better. So too should target man Ian Wiseman. With Peter Lynch and Ger Angland shining in defence and Sean Kiely and David Goold strong at midfield, Macroom saw plenty of the ball but were wasteful with it.
But you never dominate Nemo for too long and, with wing back O’Keeffe having a blinder, the city champions showed they were up for the challenge. Kenny, a terrific grafter, equalised in the eighth minute, but these were the lone two scores of an energetic opening quarter as both sides battled for control.
Nip and tuck in the second quarter. Ryan for Macroom and Graham Cummins pointed for Nemo. The excellent Kearney then put Nemo ahead, only for Cronin to level it for Macroom in the 23rd minute.
But then Nemo turned the screw with some blistering play in the closing five minutes. Mark Hayes and Eoghan Hearne were doing much better at midfield now and a point from Drew Murphy and two more from Kearney put some daylight between the sides. Cronin did have a late point for Macroom but Nemo were value for their 0-6 to 0-3 interval lead.
When Cummins fired over his second Nemo point after the restart, there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome. And that’s the way it turned out, for the slick city side limited Macroom to just two second-half points - both frees from Shane Pierce and David Goold - as Nemo took a grip with strong forceful play.
Kearney’s third point had made it 0-8 to 0-6 entering the final quarter, but with a bit more accuracy on the parts of David Golden and Pierce it might have been tighter.
But the final 15 minutes belonged to Nemo, who unveiled another super talent in 15-year-old Barry O’Driscoll, introduced for the petulant Drew Murphy.
O’Driscoll scored two fine points, and with Kearney bringing his tally to six, there was nothing Macroom could to do to stem the tide. Nemo were, quite simply, the masters.
: Nemo: D. Kearney 0-6 (0-2 frees), G. Cummins, B. O’Driscoll 0-2 each, R. Kenny, D. Murphy 0-1 each. Macroom: G. Cronin 0-3, J. Ryan, D. Goold (free), S. Pierce (free) 0-1 each.
: R. Heaphy; I. Foley, B. Hodnett, K. Donnellan; C. O’Brien, C. McGrath, R. O’Keeffe; M. Hayes, E. Hearne; R. Kenny, P. Hogan, D. Murphy; S. Horgan, G. Cummins, D. Kearney.
: B. O’Driscoll for Murphy, S. Morgan for Hearne, T. Falvey for Foley, S. McCarthy for Hayes, D. Morgan for Horgan.
: S. Casey; G. Angland, P. Lynch, R. Buckley; B. Horgan, T. Lillis, I. Casey; S. Kiely, D. Goold; S. Pierce, D. Golden, J. Ryan; G. Cronin, G. O’Donoghue, I. Wiseman.
: S. D. Quinlan for O’Donoghue.
: Martin Collins (Clonakilty).
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