Cork PSFC: Nemo Rangers secure knockout spot with game to spare
SURVEYING HIS OPTIONS: Paul Kerrigan of Nemo Rangers eyes his target in the Cork PSFC Round Two game at Páirc Uí Rinn. Pic: Larry Cummins
Champions Nemo Rangers have secured their spot in the knockout stages of the Cork PSFC with a game to spare.
That they did so without being overly impressive and having kicked seven first half wides, as well as squandering two first half goal chances, won’t cause manager Paul O’Donovan to lose much sleep. The season is plenty long yet to remove such wastefulness and carelessness from their play.
What will have pleased O’Donovan is how his side didn’t allow Éire Óg draw level late on after the Ovens men kicked 1-1 without reply to reduce the margin to the minimum on 56 minutes.
A Barry Cripps point just shy of the hour mark shoved their advantage back out to two. From there, they just about managed out the game, helped handsomely by a couple of poor Éire Óg decisions when in scoring positions.
For Éire Óg, their first defeat means their final group game against mid-Cork neighbours Ballincollig is now a winner-takes-all fixture in three weeks’ time.
This result also means the end of the road for winless Carrigaline. Their earlier defeat to Ballincollig, coupled with Nemo’s second victory, has put the knockout phase beyond their reach.
Nemo led 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of a turgid first half from both sides. They stretched that lead out to double scores, 0-10 to 0-5, following a pair from Kevin O’Donovan, a pair from subs Ross Corkery and Luke Horgan, and an Oran McElligott white flag.
But, as mentioned, Éire Óg resuscitated their cause and the game itself with that unanswered 1-1, the goal finished by sub Jerome Kelleher on 51 minutes. No levelling point could they find immediately after. Nor could they locate a winning injury-time goal.
The game’s dramatic conclusion belied a first half that was so error-ridden. The turnover and wide count far exceeded the eight points the two teams managed between them.
Éire Óg, who had only four scorers in total, missed the injured Daniel Goulding. Nemo, while having few standout performers, had nine different scorers. Their extra bit of composure and class in front of the posts ultimately told.
K O’Donovan, P Kerrigan (0-2 each); K Fulignati, B Cripps, L Connolly (0-1 free), O McElligott, J Horgan, R Corkery, L Horgan (0-1 each).
J Kelleher (1-0); J Murphy (0-3, 0-1 free); E O’Shea, C O’Callaghan (0-1 each).
MA Martin; K Histon, B Murphy, K O’Donovan; C Molloy, K Fulignati, S Cronin; B Cripps, A O’Donovan; G Sayers, M Cronin, C Horgan; O McElligott, L Connolly, P Kerrigan.
L Horgan for J Horgan, R Corkery for McElligott (both 43); R Dalton for Sayers (52).
C Kelly; M Corkery, J Mullins, C McGoldrick; D Herlihy, M Griffin, D Kelly; D McCarthy, C O’Callaghan; E O’Shea, J Murphy, H Murphy; B Thompson, J Cooper, J Sheehan.
R O’Flynn for Thompson (42); J Kelleher for O’Shea, D Dineen for Corkery (both 46); B Hurley for Sheehan (52).
P O’Driscoll.
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