Extra game no load for coasting champions Nemo

Nemo Rangers' Paul Kerrigan holds onto the ball ahead of Nathan Walsh of Douglas during the Bon Secours Premier Senior Football Championship match in Parc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Cork Premier SFC

Nemo Rangers 1-15 Douglas 1-10

A third group stage win for Nemo Rangers and yet this latest victory was tinged with the slightest hint of regret.

Arriving into Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday, the reigning Cork football champions would have had one eye on the semi-final berth rewarded to the top-performing team across the three groups.

Nemo's more than healthy score difference of +22 after the opening two rounds had them in pole position to bypass the quarter-finals, provided, of course, they were able to see off the challenge of a Douglas side who’ve had to make do this summer without the services of Shane Kingston and the Cadogan brothers.

And while Paul O’Donovan’s charges were far from stretched in securing their third win of Group C and, in the process, dumping Douglas out of the championship, Castlehaven’s 21-point annihilation of Ilen Rovers saw the West Cork men finish the group stages as top seeds on account of their superior score difference to Nemo, +32 to +27.

Nemo’s score difference was at +31 heading into second-half injury time and if someone on the sideline had made the players aware of events in Ballydehob, you can be certain Nemo would have pushed on to increase their lead.

That they instead conceded 1-1 at the death illustrated the sense of Nemo being somewhat switched off at different times in this fixture.

Ballincollig await in the quarter-finals, manager Paul O’Donovan not overly disappointed at missing out on direct passage to the last four.

“If you got straight to a semi-final and weren't playing for three weeks, you could do a lot of work on the training field, but as it is, you'll get the benefits of playing in a quarter-final, so there are pros and cons.

“We are where we are and we just have to get on with it. There is no point having regrets. Our goal at the start of this was to come out of our group, we have achieved that goal so I am happy with that,” said O’Donovan.

The Nemo manager did allude to their missed goal chances in the second period which, if taken, would have meant a far more substantial winning margin. Credit on that front to Douglas ‘keeper Brian Boyle who did very well to repel the efforts of Barry O’Driscoll and Kevin Fulignati.

He was eventually beaten on 59 minutes, substitute Ronan Dalton palming the ball to the net. Dalton was a busy boy this weekend, his tally of 1-4 when introduced off the bench early in the second half of the club’s Premier intermediate tie against Macroom on Saturday ensuring Nemo’s second team also reached the knockout stages.

“In fairness to the intermediates, they didn't start him. They needed him in the second half, they brought him on, and he was the difference. I thought today for his first start in senior football, he was excellent.

“Overall, we played well. At times there, I thought we couldn't buy a free. They were dogged. They had 13 behind the ball at times, which they are perfectly entitled to do, but that is difficult in itself to break down. 

"We scored 1-15 against a packed defence so I am reasonably happy with that.” 

To be frank, Nemo never looked in danger of coming off second best in this fixture. They enjoyed a double-scores 0-10 to 0-5 advantage at the break and the closest Douglas came of their opponents in the second half was three points.

Now, their defence was breached on a couple of occasions, but Micheál Aodh Martin was equal to Luke McGrath’s first-half drive while the crossbar denied Conor Russell in the final quarter.

Luke Connolly was the chief thorn in Douglas' side in the first half, throwing over a mark, one from play, and three placed-ball efforts. The 2019 champions were more than breaking even under the Douglas restart, Paul Kerrigan punishing with a point one short kick-out that went array. The experienced forward would add two more fine efforts in the second period.

Douglas half-back Dylan Ward deserves mention for the three points from play he angled over but they simply did not have sufficient power up front to really trouble their city rivals.

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 mins); 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.