PIFC: Bandon save their season with dramatic defeat of Nemo

Bandon 2-13 Nemo Rangers 2-12

BANDON took down Nemo's second team for a vital Premier IFC win in a dramatic finale at Carrigadrohid.

The significance of this can hardly be overstated as they approach their final group game against Castletownbere with the prospect of reaching the knockout stage.

They had started this one sharply, putting three points on the board inside the opening five minutes but Nemo weren’t long finding their stride. Only six minutes in Ciaran Dalton floated a lovely ball over the Bandon defence from 20 yards into the hands of defender Luke Horgan who cooly placed the ball into the bottom left corner, tying things up.

From here Nemo went from strength to strength. They got the next three scores of the game and held possession for long periods, passing it confidently around the Bandon half. The West Cork men were all hands to the pump as they tried to stem Nemo's attacking play but a succession of points meant the city side were 1-8 to 0-5 ahead and looking well in control at the interval.

Bandon fought their way back into the contest with a goal ten minutes into the second half when Conor Calnan found himself in space and one on one with Nemo keeper Donagh O’Leary. The stature of O’Leary didn’t faze Calnan as he buried it with aplomb.

The much-needed goal lifted Bandon and though Nemo struck back through Jack Coogan with their second goal, Bandon's heads refused to drop.

With the next two scores, Bandon were building momentum down the home stretch. This culminated in a vital goal in the 60th minute when Peter Calnan’s close-range effort deflected off a Nemo man into the roof of the net. This brought it to a one-point game with only three minutes of stoppage time to go.

Bandon’s Mr. Reliable Mark Sugrue delivered with two pin-point frees in the closing moment to grant his side a hugely important reprieve. It was clear with the emotion at the final whistle how much this comeback meant for the players, management and the club in general.

Scorers for Bandon: P Calnan 1-2, M Sugrue 0-5 (0-4 f), C Calnan 1-0, A O’Mahony, J Mulcahy 0-2, P Murphy, C Long 0-1 each.

Nemo: J Coogan 1-2, L Horgan 1-0, R Dalton 0-3 (0-1 f), R Corkery 0-3, E Mangan 0-2, S Burke, C Kiely 0-1 each.

BANDON: O Doyle; E McSweeney, E Twomey, Crowley; C Calnan, P Murphy, C O’Mahony; R Long, T Twohig; A O’Mahony, P Calnan, D Crowley; R O’Driscoll, M Cahalane, M Sugrue.

Subs: S Ahern for M Cahalane (h-t), E Nolan for C Calnan (43) E Hurley for C O’Mahony (50), J Calnan for D Crowley (53), J Mulcahy for R Long (57).

NEMO: D O’Leary; A McGowan, K O’Sullivan, O Whyte; S Burke, L Horgan, E Nation; J O’Donovan, C Dalton; C O’Brien, R Dalton, C Kiely; E Mangan, R Corkery, J Coogan.

Sub: R Shalloe for C Dalton (52).

Referee: Michael Collins.