Death, taxes and Nemo back in the final
DANGER MAN: Nemo Rangers' Luke Connolly on the ball from Duhallow's Conor O'Callaghan during the Cork Premier SFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Eddie O'Hare
As far as certainties go in this world, there are few, bar the usuals of death and taxes. However, when it comes to the Bons Secours Cork PSFC, Nemo Rangers are as close to it as you will ever get. Yesterday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh they qualified for their sixth final in nine seasons after they just had too much experience and too much quality for Duhallow. When they take on Castlehaven in the final in three weeks, it will be their 28th appearance in a final. Their maiden final was 53 years ago in 1970. They lost then, but they’ve only lost three more since.
They weren’t at their best here, but the truth is, they didn’t have to be. Because, even in this modern world of systems, and analysis, and performance metrics, all of that tradition, all of that nous and all of that muscle memory counts.
The performance of Luke Connolly summed up their day yesterday. He kicked 2-3 without ever cutting loose in the way we know that he can, the way that he did in last year’s county final. His three points were nonchalantly popped over from frees, his two goals came from being in the right place at the right time while on another day he could have had another two majors to his name. There is a sense there’s more in the tank, a hint of keeping something in reserve.
Conor Horgan, however, was all go from beginning to end. He kicked the game's opening score after eight minutes and the game’s final score when his ground effort found the net 51 minutes later. In between, his team always looked in control, with their defence well on top as Kieran Histon, Stephen Cronin and Briain Murphy all shone.
They led by 0-3 to 0-1 at the end of a somnambulant opening 20 minutes, but things improved when we were treated to two fabulous scores from distance. Stephen Cronin was first up for Nemo with a sweet strike off his left, Duhallow’s Conor O’Callaghan balanced it out with a smashing score off his right and things began to pick up a bit as Donncha O’Connor’s second free of the game made it a one-point game with three minutes to the break.
Nemo then did what they do best, kicking two quick points before the interval through Connolly and Mark Cronin to go into the break leading by double scores, 0-6 to 0-3. That extra bit of cuteness highlighted the main difference between the sides.
Seamus Hickey gave Duhallow the perfect start on the resumption with a fine point from play before Nemo enjoyed another one of those spurts. Mark Cronin slotted over two frees, Jack Horgan pointed from play and Connolly crashed the ball to the net off his left after Fachtna O’Connor had saved brilliantly from Horgan.
That made it 1-9 to 0-4, and it could have been game over, only for Duhallow to finally find some rhythm, kicking the next three points through Donncha O’Connor, Jerry O’Sullivan and David O’Connor to make it a five-point game.
Steven Cronin once again showed the quality of his left leg with a long pass to Connolly, who in turn played a one-two with Paul Kerrigan before cracking home his second goal of the game. Duhallow did respond quickly with a goal from Luke Murphy and a point from Jack Curtin, but Horgan’s goal put paid to any faint hope they may have had.
And so, Nemo are back to where they always seem to be. The Haven was the last team to beat them in a final 10 years ago. Time will tell if history can repeat itself.
L Connolly (2-3, 0-3 frees), C Horgan (1-1), M Cronin (0-3, 0-2 frees), S Cronin, A O’Donovan and J Horgan (0-1 each).
L Murphy (1-0), Donncha O’Connor (0-3, frees), C O’Callaghan, Seamus Hickey, G O’Sullivan, David Curtin and David O’Connor (0-1 each).
M A Martin; K Fulganati, B Murphy, K Histon; C Molloy, K O’Donovan, S Cronin; B Cripps, A O’Donovan (c); C Horgan, M Cronin, L Horgan; L Connolly, O McElligott, J Horgan.
P Kerrigan for McElligott (41), G Sayers for J Horgan (47), C Dalton for C Horgan (58), C Kiely for L Horgan (58), J Coogan for Connolly (60).
F O’Connor (Cullen); K Cremin (Boherbue), D Buckley (Boherbue), K Crowley (Millstreet); Shane Hickey (Millstreet), C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), J Murphy (Dromtarriffe); Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel), D Cashman (Millstreet); A O’Connor (Boherbue), M McAuliffe (Rockchapel), B O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe); Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond), L Murphy (Cullen), G O’Sullivan (Boherbue).
J Curtin (Rockchapel) for A O’Connor (26), David O’Connor (Boherbue) for McAuliffe (39), D Linehan (Castlemagner) for O’Keeffe (41), S Curtin (Rockchapel) for J Murphy (57).
John Ryan (Macroom).
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