Bandon storm back to edge Nemo and claim vital win

The Carbery side rallied in the second half to earn a thrilling victory.

WEST'S AWAKE: Bandon can approach their final group game against Castletownbere with confidence and the prospect of reaching the knockout stage. 

Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship 2023

Bandon 2-13 Nemo Rangers 2-12

Bandon put a vital two Premier IFC points on the board after taking down Nemo Rangers in a dramatic finale in Carrigadrohid on Saturday.

The significance of this win for the Carbery side can hardly be overstated. Not just because they stormed back in a thrilling second-half to revive their championship ambitions either. After relegation from Senior A last year another defeat in Carrigadrohid would have ended their hopes and raised the spectre of another relegation scrap. Now, though, they can approach their final group game against Castletownbere with confidence and the prospect of reaching the knockout stage.

They had started this one sharply, putting three points on the board inside the opening five minutes but Nemo weren’t long finding their stride. Only 6 minutes in Ciaran Dalton floated a lovely ball over the Bandon defence from 20 yards into the hands of defender Luke Horgan who cooly placed the ball into the bottom left corner, tying things up.

From here Nemo went from strength to strength. They got the next three scores of the game and held possession for long periods, passing it confdently around the Bandon half. The West Cork men were all hands to the pump as they tried to stem Nemo's attacking play but a succession of points meant the city side were 1-8 to 0-5 ahead and looking well in control at the interval.

Bandon fought their way back into the contest with a goal ten minutes into the second half when Conor Calnan found himself in space and one on one with Nemo keeper Donagh O’Leary. The stature of O’Leary didn’t faze Calnan as he buried it with aplomb.

The much-needed goal lifted Bandon spirits and even though Nemo struck back through Jack Coogan with their second goal, Bandon heads refused to drop.

With the next two scores Bandon were building momentum down the home stretch. This culminated in a vital goal in the 60th minute when Peter Calnan’s close range effort deflected off a Nemo man into the roof of the net. This brought it to a one-point game with only three minutes of stoppage time to go.

Bandon’s Mr. Reliable Mark Sugrue delivered with two pin-point frees in the closing moment to copperfasten a hugely important victory. It was clear with the outbursts of emotion at the final whistle how much this comeback meant for the players, management and the club in general.

Scorers for Bandon: P Calnan (1-2), M Sugrue (0-5, 4f), C Calnan (1-0), A O’Mahony and J Mulcahy (0-2), P Murphy and C Long (0-1 each).

Scorers for Nemo: J Coogan (1-2), L Horgan (1-0), R Dalton (0-3, 1f), R Corkery (0-3), E Mangan (0-2), S Burke and C Kiely (0-1 each).

BANDON: O Doyle; E McSweeney, E Twomey, Crowley; C Calnan, P Murphy, C O’Mahony; R Long, T Twohig; A O’Mahony, P Calnan, D Crowley; R O’Driscoll, M Cahalane, M Sugrue.

Subs: S Ahern for M Cahalane (HT), E Nolan for C Calnan (43) E Hurley for C O’Mahony (50), J Calnan for D Crowley (53), J Mulcahy for R Long (57).

NEMO RANGERS: D O’Leary; A McGowan, K O’Sullivan, O Whyte; S Burke, L Horgan, E Nation; J O’Donovan, C Dalton; C O’Brien, R Dalton, C Kiely; E Mangan, R Corkery, J Coogan.

Subs: R Shalloe for C Dalton (52).

Referee: M Collins.