The empire strikes back as superb Nemo return to summit

Joy after the win for Nemo Rangers in the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork County Premier Senior football

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

A return to the summit of Cork football that was as stunning as it was savagely authoritative.

Nemo never trailed. Not once. They never allowed their conquerors of 12 months ago to stand level with them. Not once.

There were 57 minutes on the watch when the Barrs, for the first time in proceedings, closed to within the minimum of their southside neighbours. Doubt and discomfort darkened Nemo’s door only briefly and so very late in the day.

Exuding the club’s trademark self-confidence and unwavering composure, doubt and discomfort were given short shrift by a group of players desperate to redeem themselves for the shortcomings of 2023, ‘24, and ‘25.

Three finals, mind, they refused to allow burden them on this latest visit to the concluding Sunday. Three defeats left in the background until a reservoir of hurt burst spectacularly at full-time.

“The three finals weren’t mentioned. At the start of the year it was and then it wasn’t so much. That was probably down to Kevin Clancy [sports psychologist] and the work he was doing with us,” revealed winning captain Stephen Cronin.

This was a Nemo return where they went after the pillars of the Barrs set-up and pummeled them.

Playing into the breeze in the opening half, the restarts of Barrs goalkeeper Darragh Newman were devoured by Nemo. His first six restarts sent long wound up in opposition paws.

The Barrs’ middle-third giants were being repeatedly cut down to size. Alan O’Donovan and Bríain Murphy superbly led this cutting.

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. It fed a 0-7 to 0-0 Nemo lead 16 minutes in. It would have been 1-7 to 0-0 but for Sam Ryan clearing off the goal line.

At the seventh attempt, Ian Maguire claimed and retained a Barrs long kick-out. And while Maguire and company enjoyed their own success on Micheál Aodh Martin’s restarts, claiming five of his first-half nine, Nemo derived so much momentum from a battleground state that was supposed to be blue-owned.

The scoreboard account of the back-to-back chasers was not opened until 17 minutes and 48 seconds. Enda Dennehy, fed by Brian Hayes, was the provider. This pair, along with Buckley and John Wigginton Barrett, were beginning to torment. Martin touched over a rasping drive from the latter.

A Mark Cronin right-footed effort was Nemo’s sole flag between the 16th minute and half hour. Their opponents clawed themselves into contention here. 0-8 to 0-5 would have been a most relieving half-time scoreline for Brian Roche’s side.

Instead, Mark Cronin’s 31st-minute two-point attempt fell short, older brother Stephen gathered at the second attempt, and floated the ball across the large parallelogram where Luke Horgan palmed home.

“The goal made the difference, really, to put us six clear,” said Robbie O’Dwyer.

Celebrations on the pitch after the win for Nemo Rangers. Pic: Larry Cummins

The opportunity to have the final say of the half belonged to Steven Sherlock. Dissent saw a Barrs free brought to the edge of the arc. Sherlock’s effort was unsuccessful.

The Barrs captain had no say in this final. Scoreless from play and placed ball. He kicked two first-half wides and had a second-half kick for orange fall short.

If you thought the earlier documented restart stats were catching, get a hold of this: Nemo did not concede a single free inside their own 45-metre line all afternoon. In doing so, they neutralised a most valuable blue asset.

Conor Shalloe, Bryan Hayes, Alan O’Donovan, and a phenomenal two-pointer from full-back-turned-midfielder Bríain Murphy pushed Nemo’s lead out to eight - 1-13 to 0-8 - at the end of the third quarter.

The same as the 2022 decider between the pair, which Nemo also won by four to deny a Barrs back-to-back, the charge of the Togher men was belated in the extreme.

A Brian Hayes green flag and orange from sub Cillian Myers-Murray at the beginning of the final quarter, to present a 1-13 to 1-10 scoreline, sparked chaos.

Further uncertainty reigned when a Wigginton Barrett goal, set-up by Hayes and Ciarán Doolan, and another Myers-Murray flag - this time white - reduced the gap to the minimum, 1-15 to 2-11.

Nemo did not shake. The young corner-forward pair of Bryan Hayes and Ross Corkery came with two vital defensive moments. A block on Enda Dennehy’s point attempt and a turnover on Colm Scully. Both resulted in Nemo scores.

The injury-time scores were exclusively theirs. Corkery and a Cronin dead-ball pair.

A miserable seven days for the Barrs. A potential double has crumpled to pieces.

Nemo’s opening-day setback against Newcestown has been followed by five consecutive victories. Against Castlehaven, Carrigaline, and again on Sunday, there was injury-time steel.

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

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

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.