St Finbarr's take division one title as they ease past Nemo

In what was a lively first-half, the second-half was disappointing, with Nemo just getting one point in the second-half despite playing with the wind.

Fri, 30 Jun, 2023 - 21:15

Barry O'Mahony

Cork Credit Unions FL Div 1 Final

St Finbarr’s 2-11 Nemo Rangers 1-7

St Finbarr’s were too strong for their great rivals Nemo Rangers as they claimed the Cork Credit Unions Division 1 Football League title at Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday evening. In what was a lively first-half, the second-half was disappointing, with Nemo just getting one point in the second-half despite playing with the wind. The Barrs were a better balanced team though and deserved this win.

St Finbarr’s had the assistance of a strong wind in the opening 30 minutes and made use of it in the first six minutes of the game with three points. Nemo Rangers replied with 1-2, Ciarán Dalton with a tidy finish from close-range. The teams traded points, as Nemo led 1-3 to 0-4 after the first-quarter.

Three white flags from the Barrs gave them the advantage. Gary Sayers tacked on a free for Nemo before two goals from the Barrs gave them a firm grip, John Barrett and Ethan Twomey with the green flags. Nemo hit two of the last three points of the half to trail 2-8 to 1-6 at the short whistle.

Both teams traded points in the third-quarter, as the Barrs led 2-9 to 1-7 with 15 minutes remaining. There were just two scores in the fourth quarter, which came from the winners as the Togher team head into championship in four weeks’ time in buoyant mood.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: J Barrett 1-2, R McInerney 0-4f, E Twomey 1-1, C McCarthy, E McGreevy (f), C Lyons, C Barrett 0-1 each.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: G Sayers 0-3 (0-2f), C Dalton 1-0, O McElligott 0-2, P Kerrigan, C Kiely 0-1 each.

ST FINBARR’S: D Newman; S Ryan, A O’Connor (c), C McCarthy; C Lyons, J Burns, B Hennessy; L Hannigan, D O’Brien; A Lyne, J Barrett, E Dennehy; R McInerney, E Twomey, B O’Connell.

Subs: M Donovan for L Hannigan, C Scully for B O’Connell, E McGreevy for D O’Brien (all h-t), W Buckley for R McInerney (43), C Barrett for A Lyne (45).

NEMO RANGERS: D O’Leary; K Histon, B Murphy, O Whyte; C Molloy, S Cronin, K O’Sullivan; B Cripps, A O’Donovan (c); J O’Donovan, C Kiely, C Dalton; P Kerrigan, G Sayers, O McElligott.

Subs: B O’Driscoll for P Kerrigan (43), R Corkery for C Kiely (49), T O’Brien for K O’Sullivan, J Cougan for O McElligott (both 56), S Burke for C Dalton (61).

Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).