'We kicked it away': Nemo boss admits missed chances cost his side dearly against Barrs

Nemo had a chance to equaliser at the end of the game but the shot hit the post, and the Barrs won by a point. 

Nemo Rangers manager Robbie O'Dwyer said he will "leave it a couple of weeks" before making a decision on his future in the role. Picture Dan Linehan

Nemo Rangers manager Robbie O’Dwyer believes his side ‘kicked it away’ in the second half of their narrow Cork Premier Senior Football Championship final loss to St Finbarr’s.

Just one point separated the two rivals at the end of a dramatic contest at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon and speaking shortly after full-time, a dejected O’Dwyer admitted his team’s eight second half wides, along with two efforts that came back off the post, ultimately cost them dear.

“I'm disappointed, obviously. In the second half, we only scored two out of 13 chances, so I think we kicked it away,” began O’Dwyer.

“We had a lot of chances to win the game. We didn't, in fairness to the Barrs, they came out on top at the end. We didn't take our chances, and, like, we had a lot of chances.

“We hit the upright, I think, about three times, so yeah, it's just disappointing obviously the way it went. They won at the end of the day. That's unfortunately the way it is.

“We're obviously disappointed because we did have chances, maybe a draw might have been… we'd have been happy with the draw as well. It just hit the upright at the end, but that's how it goes.

“You have to take your chances when you have your chances, you have to take them. But look, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter now, they've won by a point and fair play to them.

“I feel as if I can't ask any more of the group, in fairness. The commitment they've given to me all year, they've been great.

“They've worked hard and it's just fine margins. Today wasn't our day, it was Barrs' day and fair play to them.” 

It is now three Cork Premier SFC final defeats in a row for Nemo, having lost to Castlehaven in 2023 and 2024 following on from their last triumph in the showpiece occasion against the Barrs back in 2022.

But O’Dwyer has hailed the character of his team and has backed them to go one better next year.

“It’s tough, like, from that point of view,” continued the Nemo boss.

“But look, we just have to keep coming, we have to keep coming back, do you know what I mean?

“I think that's the testament to the group that we've done it twice already, that we'll just have to come back again and we'll have to just go for it. That's it.

“We'll just have to rebuild and start again. After Christmas now, we'll just knuckle down again and just start again and start afresh and just hope that things will… we'll just take it from there.

“It's obviously a bit disappointing, I'm not even thinking about next year so far, I’m just disappointed about today, but look, we'll just see how it goes."

Asked if he will be staying on for a third campaign at the helm, O’Dwyer insisted: “Yeah, look, I've no... I've no... look, at the moment I haven't even thought about it. From that point of view, it's too soon.

“I'll just have to leave it a couple of weeks, and see how it goes.”