Move along, nothing to see here

NOBODY puts manners on Cork football freshmen like Nemo Rangers.

Several finalists before them have suffered a similar, sickening emptiness that Douglas will experience when the depth of their county final distress consumes them today.

Conjuring up an appealing vista of Nemo’s ‘inevitable’ demise nourishes false expectations and neglects to recognise what has brought them to a fourth consecutive Cork football title — seamless transition from powerful, balanced unit to, well, another powerful, balanced unit.

Presumably on the basis of their progress through Clonakilty, Ballincollig and Ilen Rovers, there was a sense of light-headed optimism in Douglas that they could couple a first county football title with the scalp of their nearest and betters. Coming out on the right side of slugfests had not only steeled them for the ultimate test — it had provided the match legs to close out a tight game.

What that perceived wisdom blissfully ignored was Douglas’ goals-for column in the last three championship wins (nil), and the continuing absence of a real scoring threat beyond the promising, if inconsistent Mark Harrington.

There is potential there — Barry Fitzgerald, Shane McCarthy and Fergal O’Sullivan are all in their early 20s — but the suffocation of their attacking ambition yesterday was evident from the get-go. With the full forward line preferring low, direct ball, Nemo’s Derek Kavanagh was secure in the knowledge that so long as he could compete with Harrington in a straight foot race, clear Douglas openings would be few and far between. Much like Kerry in the All-Ireland final, attacking variety was eschewed.

The challengers finished the hour with a mere three points from play, and only had two frees for their efforts in the first half.

Wing forward Fergal O’Sullivan was the only Douglas attacker profiting from his individual battle with Martin Cronin; the problem was that it came from a deep-lying, creative platform.

No such worries for Nemo. The scope of scoring options available to Ephie Fitzgerald’s men meant that despite the excellence of Douglas’ half back line, and the towering influence of the strait-jacketed Eoin Cadogan at full back, the champions always had a route to the posts. They enjoyed an emphatic edge at midfield, provided by the mobility of David Niblock and Maurice McCarthy. The former is still clearly an inter-county option if he wants it enough, and claimed the score of the match with a lung-bursting run from his own half with a finish to match after 27 minutes.

Ditto Paul Kerrigan in terms of inter-county talent; he was the closest challenger to Niblock’s man of the match gong in a bloodless hour’s play.

Despite an unseemly end to his afternoon, Douglas’ Cadogan is a footballer in the best sense of the word, and one Conor Counihan would do well to have on board next season for Cork. Though yesterday was far from his best day, his reputation was such that Nemo could be justifiably charged with being the first team in recent memory to employ a defensive full-forward — Alan Morgan’s primary duty appeared to be to curb Cadogan’s offensive inclinations.

If that indicates excessive respect on the one hand, it also underlines Nemo’s attention to detail, and their refusal to take anything for granted. The petrified whispers from Trabeg this week suggested that Nemo’s very heritage was on the line in the event of a defeat to Douglas. The manner in which they steadily strangled the life out of this game suggested as much. There was little in the way of expansive tactics, with Sean O’Brien and Alan Cronin ferreting away successfully around the midfield. Kavanagh commanded the full back line, as did Brian O’Regan in front of him.

Douglas trailed by five points at the interval; two goal chances later — one wasted by Harrington, the other well saved by Nemo keeper Brian Morgan (from Shane McCarthy), their attacking spirit had expired. Eoin Cadogan effected a stunning last-ditch block at the other end to preserve Douglas’ proud record of not conceding a goal in this year’s championship.

It will feel like an empty boast today, but it’s a building block for next season. Some say there are only two clubs in Cork unfazed by Nemo’s record and reputation (Clonakilty and Castlehaven). Now that they’ve seen the beast up close, perhaps Douglas will be better steeled next year. Only though if they can unearth real scoring forwards.