Watch and read: Nemo hold off Barrs' fightback to reclaim Cork crown

Robbie O'Dwyer's men were full tuned in against old rivals, St Finbarr's in the championship decider.

Nemo Rangers 1-19 St Finbarr’s 2-12 

Nemo Rangers suffer no more. Three consecutive county final defeats has not stretched to an unfathomable fourth. Southside superiority has shifted back in their direction.

A county final where they streaked away early and finished similarly roaring saw discomfort and doubt visit their corner only sporadically.

Their total deconstruction of the Barrs kickout in the opening half and ability to both absorb and respond to the Barrs’ belated second-half push were headline factors in their return to the summit of Cork football. The four-year famine is over. Andy Scannell will spend a 24th winter in Trabeg.

A miserable seven days for the Barrs. A potential double has crumpled to pieces. No Steven Sherlock score from play or placed ball. The top-scorer held and shunted to the margins.

Seven in front after 16 minutes, a two-pointer into the breeze from full-back-turned-midfielder Bríain Murphy on 44 minutes pushed Nemo’s lead out to eight.

A Brian Hayes green flag and Cillian Myers-Murray orange in the subsequent two minutes belatedly sparked this decider into uncertain chaos.

For the first time, a Nemo response was required. Enda Dennehy’s point attempt to close to within two was half-smothered. The play finished with a Mark Cronin converted free for a Sam Ryan foul on Kevin O’Donovan.

The ensuing restart of Darragh Newman went short and to a Nemo hand. Ronan Dalton punished the mistake. 1-15 to 1-10.

The Barrs swung again. A long ball into the now permanently stationed-inside Brian Hayes. Quick hands to Ciarán Doolan and John Wigginton Barrett. A supremely composed finish from the latter.

Another flag from sub Myers-Murray - this time white - and the gap for the first time stood at the minimum. 1-15 to 2-11. It had only taken the reigning champions all of 57 minutes.

The gap was still the minimum entering four minutes of injury-time. Ross Corkery and a pair of Mark Cronin frees settled the issue and dissolved all late suspense.

We very nearly had the bizarre interval situation where the crowd that failed to score for the opening 17 minutes and who lost eight of their first 10 kick-outs went back in the more content and downright relieved.

That situation didn’t come to pass because of what materialised in the opening minutes of first-half injury-time. The Barrs were turned over attempting to emerge from defence. Mark Cronin’s latest two-point attempt fell short. His older brother, Stephen, wearing No.6, was the furthest black and green shirt forward. He gathered and lofted possession across the large parallelogram where Luke Horgan was present to palm home.

The final’s opening goal redrew the interval conversation. Nemo’s 1-8 to 0-5 advantage was more reflective of their complete ownership of the opening 16 or so minutes.

Playing into the breeze in the opening half, Darragh Newman’s restarts were devoured by Nemo. His first six restarts sent long were won by the opposition. The Barrs' middle-third giants were being pummeled.

The sole restart Newman sent to the edge of the arc during the opening quarter was retained. The curiosity was that he didn’t attempt more such kick-outs. It stood as his sole first-half kick-out sent short.

Of the six that went long and were lost, Nemo mined 0-5.

At the seventh attempt, Ian Maguire, on 16 minutes, claimed and retained a Barrs long kickout.

Shortly following this first long kick-out win was a first Barrs white flag. 17 minutes and 48 seconds into this county final, Enda Dennehy, who began proceedings in the full-back line on Ross Corkery, had them on the board.

The opening quarter, as should be now blatantly obvious, was a torrent of black and green.

Cronin (white and orange), Corkery, Dalton, and the outstanding Alan O’Donovan were all on the mark for a 0-7 to 0-0 lead.

Robbie O’Dwyer’s charges were never led in this county final. Their opponents never once even stood level with them. There’s not a single argument surrounding their return to the winners’ enclosure.

“It has been a long four years,” said captain Stephen Cronin. The longing is no more.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: M Cronin (0-8, tp, 0-5 frees); L Horgan (1-1); R Dalton (0-3); A O’Donovan, B Murphy (tp), R Corkery (0-2 each); C Shalloe (0-1).

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: J Wigginton Barrett (1-2); C Myers-Murray (tp), E Dennehy (0-3 each); B Hayes (1-0); W Buckley (0-2); I Maguire, L Hannigan (0-1 each).

Nemo Rangers: MA Martin; K Histon, C Molloy, M Hill; K O’Donovan, S Cronin, J Horgan; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; M Cronin, L Horgan, C Shalloe; R Corkery, R Dalton, B Hayes.

Subs: N O’Shea for J Horgan (45); C Horgan for Shalloe (49); D O’Sullivan for L Horgan (55).

St Finbarr’s: D Newman; S Ryan, D Quinn, E Dennehy; C Dennehy, C Doolan, C Scully; I Maguire, B Hayes; T Egan, L Hannigan, W Buckley; J Wigginton Barrett, R Barrett, S Sherlock.

Subs: C Myers Murray for Egan (38); F Crowley for C Dennehy (47); B O’Connell for Scully (61).

Referee: D Murnane.