Premier SFC: Nemo Rangers march on while Carrigaline head to relegation playoff

Nemo Rangers 0-15 Carrigaline 1-9

VYING for a 24th Premier Senior title, champions Nemo Rangers knew the importance of the win against Carrigaline in Ballygarvan on Sunday but their performance wasn’t indicative of that. 

The margin of victory wasn’t enough to get them as far as the semis with St Finbarr's securing top seed, which meant Nemo had to settle for a quarter-final tie against Clonakilty in a fortnight. Carrgaline will take on Mallow in a relegation playoff.

There were no shortage of early chances for both sides in Ballygarvan. Jack Horgan’s low-drilled effort on the left peg was stopped by Carrigaline keeper Callum Dungan. Moments later Kevin O’Reilly found himself clean through on goal but he got under the ball and put it over the bar instead of his intended destination.

Brian Coakley, one of Carrigaline’s go-to men, couldn’t find a flow at all in the first half. He made a mess of two frees and failed to convert a glorious goal chance midway through the half after Callum Barrett’s brilliant long ball found him with no one to beat but the keeper.

Nemo we’re controversially given two scores that both looked to have missed just wide right of the posts, but the umpires said otherwise, to the bewilderment of the Carrigaline lot.

Nemo went in four points ahead at the break at 0-9 to 0-5. Two Brian Coakley frees either side of half-time drew Carrigaline closer and minutes into the second half wing-forward Barrett was involved for Carrigaline again. This time he beat four Nemo players with a solo run and buried the ball past Michael Martin in the Nemo net to level the game.

However, with composure and experience in abundance, the reigning champions never panicked and put over five scores on the bounce to take control of the tie once more. Mark Cronin and Luke Connelly led the charge, contributing a couple of scores each to put some distance between the two and eventually getting the all-important win.

Scorers for Nemo: M Cronin 0-5 (0-2 f), L Connelly 0-4 (0-2 f), P Kerrigan 0-2, O McElligott, K Fulignati, J Horgan, G Sayers 0-1 each.

Carrigaline: B Coakley 0-4 (0-3 f), C Barrett 1-0, N Coakley, K O’Reilly 0-2 each, J McCarthy 0-1.

NEMO: M Martin; K Histon, B Murphy, K O’Donovan; C Molloy, K Fulignati, J Horgan; B Cripps, A O’Donovan; G Sayers, P Kerrigan, C Horgan; M Cronin, R Corkery, L Connelly.

Subs: L Horgan for J Horgan (30), R Dalton for C Horgan (30) , B O Driscoll for R Corkery (48), O McElligott for P Kerrigan (52).

CARRIGALINE: C Dungan; N Quirke, I Sheerin, C O’Herlihy; C Murphy, C Barry, J McCarthy; K Kavanagh, E Ryle; C Barrett, N Coakley, B Pope; B Coakley, O Barry, K O’Reilly.

Subs: N O’Keefe for B Pope (40), P Mellet for K Kavanagh (48), K McCarthy for E Ryle (52).

Referee: Robert Whelan (Gleann na Laoi).