Nemo Rangers march on in Cork Senior Championship

Nemo Rangers' Mark Cronin attempts to pull away from Sean Wilson of Douglas during the Bon Secours Premier Senior Football Championship match in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Nemo Rangers 1-15 Douglas 1-10

Casltehaven’s massive win over Ilen Rovers has denied reigning champions Nemo a bye into the semi-finals of the county football championship.

The reward for the top team across the three groups was a ticket to the semi-finals of the premier senior championship and it was Nemo who occupied pole position heading into today’s final round of group games. 

And even though they comfortably secured their third win of the campaign at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Casltehaven’s 4-19 to 2-4 hammering of Ilen Rovers saw the West Cork side take the semi-final berth on account of their superior score difference to Nemo, +32 to +27.

Nemo’s score difference was right up there with Castlehaven entering the final stages of this Group C fixture, but Douglas landed 1-1 late on to lessen their opponents’ margin of victory.

Nemo will now meet Ballincollig in the quarter-finals.

As for Douglas, their involvement in the competition is at an end. They looked as if they might hold onto second spot in the group given Bishopstown were leading Valley Rovers late on in the other Group C game, but Valley Rovers' ability to eke out a narrow win sees them join Nemo in advancing from the group.

Nemo held a double-scores 0-10 to 0-5 advantage at the break, Luke Connolly leading the way in accounting for half of his team’s tally. Connolly won one of the three frees he converted and was certainly enjoying the better of his duel with Cork teammate Kevin Flahive.

Douglas would have been disappointed with their first-half total given the number of scoring chances they created. 

This included a Luke McGrath goal effort, created by the lively Sean Powter, which Nemo ‘keeper Micheál Aodh Martin did very well to keep out. 

The subsequent ‘45 was driven wide meaning Douglas got nothing from the play.

Conor Russell was Douglas’ main provider in the opening half, landing two from play and one dead-ball effort. He was, though, guilty of a couple of wides that he did not look best pleased with.

Three points were as close as Douglas came of their opponents in the second period. They did engineer goal openings to further cut the gap, but the best of those opportunities saw Russell blast his shot off the crossbar.

Down the other end, Douglas 'keeper Brian Boyle did well to repel the goal drives of Barry O’Driscoll and Kevin Fulignati. 

Boyle was beaten on 59 minutes as Ronan Dalton, fresh from his exploits with the club’s premier intermediates yesterday, palmed the ball to the net.

Shane McCarthy did cancel this green flag out shortly after but no difference did it make to the outcome.

Nemo through, Douglas out.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: L Connolly (0-6, 0-4 frees, 0-1 mark); R Dalton (1-1); P Kerrigan (0-3); M Cronin (0-2, 0-1 free); K O’Donovan, B O’Driscoll, C Horgan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Douglas: C Russell (0-5, 0-3 frees); D Ward (0-3); S McCarthy (1-0); B Hartnett, L Dineen (0-1 each).

NEMO RANGERS: MA Martin; B Cripps, K Histon, B Murphy; K O’Donovan, A Cronin, S Cronin; P Morgan, J McDermott; B O’Driscoll, R Dalton, C O’Brien; M Cronin, L Connolly, P Kerrigan.

SUBS: C Horgan for M Cronin (50); K Fulignati for Morgan (54).

DOUGLAS: B Boyle; N Walsh, K Flahive, S Wilson; D Ward, L McGrath, D Harte; B Hartnett, D Hartnett; B Collins, J Harte, L Dineen; S Collins, S Powter, C Russell.

SUBS: E O’Sullivan for S Collins (HT); S McCarthy for D Harte (49); A O’Connell for B Collins (53); B Powter for J Harte (56).

REFEREE: A O’Connor.