Macroom knocked out in dramatic final minutes of Cork Premier IFC group phase

FALLING SHORT: Macroom's Mark Corrigan tussles for possession with Ciaran Dalton, Nemo Rangers, in Newcestown on Saturday. Though Macroom won the game 4-13 to 5-8, late scores from Nemo killed the Muskerry men's hopes of progress to the knockout phase.

A most dramatic afternoon in Cork Premier IFC ended with Macroom coming back to defeat Nemo Rangers - but still getting eliminated on scoring difference.

Cill na Martra, Newmarket, Knocknagree, Nemo Rangers, Kanturk, and Aghada advancing to the knockout stages.

The quarter-final pairings see Nemo play Knocknagree, with Newmarket awaiting the winner in the semi-final, while Kanturk and Aghada do battle in the second quarter-final for the right to meet Cill na Martra in the penultimate round. Kanturk defeated Cill na Martra in the Premier IFC quarter-final last year

In Group A, Newmarket and Aghada went into today’s final round of group games in first and second place and that’s where the pair finished as they both recorded victories against Castletownbere and Na Piarsaigh respectively.

Group B delivered a thoroughly unexpected conclusion as St Vincent’s, without a win before today, came from behind to claim a one-point victory over Naomh Abán, a result which guaranteed Knocknagree’s progression despite losing to Cill na Martra by 19 points. The hammering Knocknagree endured meant Naomh Abán would have taken second spot in Group B if they had held on to beat St Vincent’s.

Most dramatic of all, however, was Group C where Macroom’s 4-13 to 5-8 win over Nemo was insufficient to see them advance. They were relegated to third place on score difference as Kanturk - who started the day with a three-point inferior score difference to Macroom - whacked Gabriel Rangers by 10 points to leapfrog Macroom into second. It all changed in the final minutes of the Nemo-Macroom game. With five minutes remaining, Macroom held a five point lead which would have seen them through and Nemo eliminated. But a late goal from Ronny Dalton and a point from Jack Coogan reduced the losing margin to two points, enough to see the Trabeg men through and Macroom out.

Nemo Rangers’ score difference of +10 was marginally superior to Kanturk’s +8 so they held onto top spot, all three teams finishing on four points. Macroom finished with a +3 scoring difference.

Cork Premier IFC quarter finals: Kanturk v Aghada (winners play Cill na Martra in semi-final); Nemo Rangers v Knocknagree (winners play Newmarket in semi-final).