Barrs' corrective surgery edges them to victory over Nemo

St Finbarr’s finally conquered their southside rivals on Cork football’s biggest stage

St. Finbarr's' Cillian Myers Murray scored the winning point for his side in their Cork Premier SFC victory over Nemo Rangers. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Cork Premier SFC final: St Finbarr’s 1-14 (1-2-10) Nemo Rangers 1-13 (1-2-9) 

A shift in southside superiority. The conquering of a psychological peak that until yesterday had proven beyond every past and present blue climber.

The black and green finally bested on the last Sunday of Cork football fare. At the sixth attempt, they are smiling and set free in Togher. The mental stranglehold Nemo held over them is no more.

Six goals to sink three-in-a-row chasing Castlehaven and a first-ever surviving of the self-assured neighbour on final afternoon. A campaign and conclusion to rival any of St Finbarr's 10 previous acquaintances with Andy Scannell.

From the Barrs starting line-up, only their five football final debutants - Darragh Newman, Ciaran Doolan, William Buckley, John Wigginton Barrett, and Rickey Barrett - were exempt from the list of players to suffer at least one county final defeat to Nemo.

Six of the remaining 10 were present for both the 2017 replay and 2022 concluding Sunday disappointments. A pair of fixtures where the Barrs only belatedly put themselves in contention after falling double-figures behind.

Nemo were a crowd they just could not navigate, both on the pitch and upstairs. And in all honesty, Sunday’s decider, watched by a crowd of 6,949, was headed in the same familiar direction at half-time. Nemo, having played into a noteworthy breeze, led 1-9 to 0-10.

Robbie O’Dwyer’s charges were a picture of efficiency. Outside of an early pair of Bryan Hayes point attempts short and their sole first half wide from goalscorer Kevin O’Donovan on 17 minutes, their incursions straight down the centre were stretching and sticking.

Up the Blackrock End, Steven Sherlock was peripheral, the Barrs support play poor, and the collective decision-making worse again.

Seven first half wides, an attempt short from the aforementioned captain, and a John Wigginton Barrett kick blocked down painted the usual story of Barrs floundering in far more composed Nemo company.

The latter were clapped back onto the field by the club’s half-time-honoured 2000 county winning side. Nemo’s third team had celebrated city junior final glory the afternoon previous. From a position of strength, their flagship side could not complete the perfect weekend.

The Blues' corrective surgery was to introduce Luke Hannigan and Enda Dennehy at half-time. Hannigan would win three kickouts, two of them belonging to Micheál Aodh Martin. Dennehy was involved in the injury-time winner.

The same as their semi-final against Ballincollig, the Barrs brought an immediate lift in tempo upon the restart. All their leading actors came centre stage. Sherlock, in particular, began to throw off Kieran Histon's shackles.

William Buckley and his carrying intent was fouled for a Sherlock converted free. Brian Hayes won a restart and got himself to the end of the same play to palm the ball to the net. Ethan Twomey, assisted by Sherlock, nailed his second.

From two behind to three in front in the space of three second half minutes. Scarcely believable was that they’d raise just two more white flags across the remaining 31 minutes. Just one point added from the 44th minute onwards. The most unlikely manner of victory.

The final assumed captivating status for its misses and the chaos they spawned.

Sam Ryan dived to deny Alan O’Donovan’s goal-bound drive. Two minutes later, Ian Maguire shunned his goal-taking quarter-final confidence and offloaded to Sherlock. A double save ensued from Kevin O’Donovan and Martin.

Maguire and Buckley were both subsequently short in searching for white flags. The Barrs were blowing their period of dominance. They repeatedly ran down blind alleys and were robbed.

Nemo proceeded to bring their own frantic waste. A fourth quarter full of chances and all they chalked was two Cronin frees. Two further frees, kicked by Cronin and sub Paul Kerrigan, would be chalked as costly wides.

With the breeze behind them, Nemo, incredibly, went scoreless for the opening 16 minutes of the second half. Their sole second half score from play didn’t arrive until 33 seconds into injury-time. As he had done against Newcestown, Conor Horgan’s two-pointer achieved parity.

Alan O’Donovan, Brian Murphy, and Barry Cripps had their moments in engrossing contests with Maguire and Hayes. The blue pillars, though, stood tallest and longest.

Hayes touched down a Barrs kickout to Enda Dennehy. Flowing bench impact. Eoin McGreevy assisted for Cillian Myers Murray’s 62nd minute winner. Injury had not defined his year.

Horgan and Nemo went again. The post prevented a replay. The post confirmed a three-in-a-row of county final defeats and their first falling to the blue flag.

An unwanted piece of history and a most welcome piece of history close along Cork city’s southside.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: B Hayes (1-2, tp); S Sherlock (0-5, tp free, 0-1 free); W Buckley, E Twomey (0-2 each); C Dennehy, R Barrett, C Myers Murray (0-1 each).

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: M Cronin (0-5, 0-2 frees); K O’Donovan (1-1); B Hayes (0-3, tp); C Horgan (0-2, tp); M Hill, S Cronin (0-1).

ST FINBARR’S: D Newman; S Ryan, A O’Connor, D Quinn; B Hennessy, J Burns, C Dennehy; I Maguire, B Hayes; E Twomey, C Doolan, W Buckley; J Wigginton Barrett, S Sherlock, R Barrett.

Subs: E Dennehy for Burns, L Hannigan for Wigginton Barrett (both HT); E McGreevy for Hayes (44-45 temporary); E McGreevy for Twomey, C Myers Murray for Barrett (both 59).

NEMO RANGERS: MA Martin; C Molloy, K Histon, M Hill; C McCartan, S Cronin, K Fulignati; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; K O’Donovan, B Cripps, C Kiely; C Horgan, M Cronin, B Hayes.

Subs: R Dalton for Kiely, P Kerrigan for Fulignati (both 42 min); C Moore for McCartan (51); L Horgan for B Hayes (59); R Corkery for A O’Donovan (64).

Referee: C Lane.