Tight squeeze at top and bottom of Cork's SFL top tier

Nemo Rangers Stephen Cronin is tackled by Clonakilty's Chris Kenneally and Ben Ridgeway during the McCarthy Insurance Group 1 Division football league game. Pic: Martin Walsh.

Two points separate the top five clubs and a single point divides the bottom five ahead of a seismic final day of Cork's SFL Division 1 fixtures.

On Sunday, June 21, five fixtures will decide this year’s Division 1 finalists and who will be relegated from the top tier. Carbery Rangers, Castlehaven, Clonakilty and Knocknagree sit top of the standings on ten points apiece with Newcestown just behind on eight. Directly below, Cill na Martra, Douglas and Nemo Rangers share bottom place on six points. St Finbarr’s and Éire Óg are only a point ahead.

Nemo Rangers travelled to Clonakilty and registered their third league win of the campaign on Saturday. A 2-11 to 0-14 success was attained thanks to Ronan Dalton and Alan O’Donovan’s first half goals. Ross Corkery, Conor Horgan, Jack O’Brien and Donagh O’Leary were also on target for the Capwell club.

“It was all about getting over the line tonight,” Nemo manager Robbie O’Dwyer said. “Things were kind of jittery for the last five or ten minutes. In fairness to the lads, they dug it out and got the result. That’s what we wanted.” 

As for Clonakilty, a disappointing first half display was followed by a dogged second half comeback before falling short by three points. Ross Mannix, Darragh Gough, Jack O’Mahony and Ben Ridgeway provided the bulk of the West Cork club’s scores with Des Kenneally, Dan Darragh and Seán White also contributing.

“Last year, getting to a league final would have been one of our targets, this year, not so much,” Clonakilty coach Eoin Ryan admitted. “We’re using the league to get as many fellas as we can out on the field. The important thing for us was to survive in Division 1 and we’ve done that.” 

As a result, Clonakilty will travel to Éire Óg seeking a win to possibly reach a Division 1 final. Nemo’s top tier status requires a positive outcome at home to Newcestown and other results going their way. Éire Óg’s survival hopes received a welcome boost with a second consecutive victory. The Ovens club overcame Newcestown 0-15 to 1-11 thanks, in part, to Daniel Goulding’s five points and match-winning free.

Douglas’s hope of avoiding the drop received a welcome shot in the arm with victory at home to St Finbarr’s.

Sean Caokely’s nine-point haul helped Douglas emerge 2-11 to 2-9 winners with Colm MacPhaidin and Alan O’Hare’s green flags proving equally important. Douglas travel to Castlehaven in the final round and on the same day St Finbarr’s host Cill na Martra.

The Haven are still in with a shout of reaching a Division 1 league final despite losing a West Cork derby, 4-10 to 0-12, to Carbery Rangers. Amid awful weather conditions, Dylan O’Neill, Paul Hodnett, Daragh Hayes and Pádraig Tobin goals ended Castlehaven’s unbeaten league record. Rangers host fellow leaders and title-contenders Knocknagree on Sunday week.

Surprise package Knocknagree gave themselves a chance of reaching a league final thanks to a 0-16 to 0-11 defeat of Cill na Martra. The latter travel to St Finbarr’s in their final league game requiring a positive result to avoid possibly dropping down to Division 2.