Nemo Rangers made to go the extra by Newcestown in semi-final saga
HIGH AND MIGHTY: Alan O'Donovan, Nemo Rangers winning this high ball from Eoghan Collins, Newcestown in their McCarthy Insurance Group Senior FC semi-final match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Dan Linehan
Newcestown’s quest for a first McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC final came so close to being fulfilled, but Nemo Rangers did what Nemo Rangers do and found a way.
Sunday’s semi-final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh required more than 80 minutes before a winner could be found. When that happened, it was Nemo, as so often before.
Trailing by 0-19 to 2-12 at half-time in extra time, the Trabeg side were wasteful in the opening stages of the second period but found parity through Luke Horgan on 76 minutes. Then, when sub Paul Kerrigan looked to find Conor Horgan with a threaded pass, the full-forward was fouled and Mark Cronin scored his ninth point. It proved to be the last, as late Newcestown equalising attempts fell off-target, the gargantuan effort finally catching up with the Carbery side who had given everything.
Even after the 60 minutes finished level, they disproved notions that they had blown it with heroic captain Luke Meade answering Conor Horgan’s point for Nemo and sub Cárthach Keane putting them back in front. An exchange of frees between Cronin and David Buckley, who also finished with 0-9, left Newcestown ahead by that point at the turnaround but they would not score again.
It’s safe to assume that, had Newcestown been offered an even share of the opening half’s 16 points, they would have taken it; that they would then have a monopoly on the first seven points scored in the second half is something that nobody would have been able to predict.
The run started as David Buckley’s quick free allowed wing-back Colm Dinneen to score; Buckley followed that with his third two-pointer of the game, following good play from centre-back Micheál McSweeney.
Holding a grip on the breaks around the middle, Newcestown found their stride as Richard O’Sullivan, Eoghan Collins and Séamus O’Sullivan were involved as the ball was worked to veteran Tadhg Twomey, who sent over a beauty for a 0-12 to 0-8 lead.
The advantage stretched to five as captain Luke Meade was set up by his brother Jack; the resultant kickout was claimed by Gearóid O’Donovan, who fed Séamus O’Sullivan and he in turn set up Dinneen for another orange flag: 0-15 to 0-8.
It’s rare that Nemo trail by seven points in the second half of a game; unfortunately for Newcestown, it was a state of affairs that lasted for only a few seconds as Nemo finally broke the midfield stranglehold and Mark Cronin found the run of Kieran Histon, who finished smartly to the net.
To Newcestown’s credit, they limited any more immediate damage, despite plenty of pressure, with the tireless Collins and McSweeney doing much to hold the barricades – along with Buckley when called upon to use his aerial ability in defence. As mistakes mounted on both sides, Mark Cronin kept his head to landed a point on 48 minutes.
That was followed by Kevin O’Donovan’s fisted effort grazing the crossbar and bouncing out. Cronin kept the play alive on the other side and sent the ball back into the danger area, where Kevin Fulignati sent it to the net. After consultation between referee David Murnane and his umpires, the green flag was raised and the sides were level.
The expectation might have been that momentum would drive Nemo on from there but again Newcestown reacted well, Jack Meade’s point putting them back in front. They couldn’t further strengthen their advantage though and Conor Horgan levelled for Nemo just as the clock struck 60, with five minutes of injury time failing to provide a winner.
In the first half of normal time, Nemo had got on top early, with Alan O’Donovan controlling midfield and Mark Cronin to the fore on the scoring front as they built a 0-7 to 0-2 lead. However, once Seán O’Donovan returned to the field after a head-bandaging operation that kept him off for almost ten minutes, Newcestown found their rhythm and Buckley’s two-pointers helped them to lead at 0-8 to 0-7 before Cronin sent the sides in level.
M Cronin 0-9 (0-4 f, 1 2pt), K Fulignati 1-1, K Histon 1-0, C Horgan 0-2, B Cripps, L Horgan 0-1 each.
: D Buckley 0-9 (2 2pt, 0-3 f, 1 2ptf), C Dinneen (1 2pt), L Meade 0-3 each, S O’Donovan, T Twomey, J Meade, C Keane 0-1 each.
: MA Martin; M Hill, C Molloy, C McCartan; K Histon, S Cronin, K Fulignati; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; B Cripps, K O’Donovan, M Cronin; B Hayes, C Horgan, C Kiely.
Subs: R Dalton for Kiely (37), C Moore for Hill (40), P Kerrigan for Hayes (55), E Nation for McCartan (69), Hill for Molloy, L Horgan for Fulignati (half-time in extra time).
: E McSweeney; J Kelleher, C O’Donovan, P Kelly; G O’Donovan, M McSweeney, C Dinneen; S O’Donovan, E Collins; L Meade, T Twomey, D Buckley; R O’Sullivan, J Meade, S O’Sullivan.
Subs: J Burrows for S O’Donovan (2-10), C Keane for Twomey (51), C O’Sullivan for S O’Sullivan (60+2), T Twomey for Dinneen (74), N Murray for C O’Donovan (80).
: D Murnane (Macroom).
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