Nemo Rangers retain Seandún hurling title with classy win over Whitechurch

Nemo Rangers 3-17 Whitechurch 1-10

NEMO Rangers' hurlers retained the AOS Security Management Solutions Seandún JAHC after they defeated Whitechurch in their one-sided decider before a sizeable attendance at Ballinlough. 

This result completes one leg of the double for the Trabeg side, as the club's third team are due to meet Mayfield in the Junior A Football final next week.

The opening quarter was evenly contested, as Whitechurch led briefly and they created two goal-scoring opportunities in this period. Nemo Rangers’ three goals in the second quarter killed the game of as a contest as they held a 13-point interval lead. 

The second half was more evenly contested as both sides had nine points each on board, with Whitechurch scoring their goal in the 39th minute.

With wind advantage in the opening half, Shane Horgan gave Nemo Rangers a two-point lead, before points from play by Cork U20 hurling captain Micheal Mullins and Mark Callanan had Whitechurch on level terms.

Whitechurch took the lead with two unanswered points, including a free by Ronan Murphy, but Nemo Rangers cancelled this lead out with a point from play by John Kearney and a pointed free by net-mender and former Cork Senior footballer James Masters.

Wayward puck-outs were proving to be costly for Whitechurch as Horgan won possession for Nemo Rangers. 

He then sent Mark Cronin on a solo run to set up Ronan Dalton for the game’s opening goal from the edge of the Whitechurch square in the 16th minute.

The Trabeg side continued to have Whitechurch pinned back and four minutes later, Kearney got Nemo Rangers’ second goal following the rebound of a point-blank save by Whitechurch goalkeeper Con Mulcahy.

Cronin got Nemo Rangers’ third goal in stoppage time at the end of the first half, to give his side an interval lead of 3-8 to 0-4.

Whitechurch outscored the Trabeg side by three points to two, before Ruairi O’Connell got Whitechurch’s goal, following a melee in the Nemo Rangers square.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: S Horgan 0-7 (0-3 f); R Dalton, M Cronin, J Kearney 1-1 each; J Masters 0-3 f; B Cripps 0-3; K O’Donovan 0-1.

Whitechurch: R Murphy 0-5 (0-4f); R O’Connell 1-0; C Egan 0-2; J McGrath, M Mullins, S Keane 0-1 each.

NEMO: J Masters; S Cronin, P Morgan, B Murphy; B O’Neill, K O’Donovan, J Coogan; P Collins, M Cronin; J Kearney, B Cripps, S Horgan; C Kiely, R Dalton, T O’Brien.

Subs: A Petrov for Kiely (49), J Cowhig for Collins, G Barrett for O’Brien (both 60+).

WHITECHURCH: C Mulcahy; B O’Reilly, B O’Sullivan, A Kelleher; S O’Reilly, K Ryan, M Callanan; M Mullins, J McGrath; C Egan, S Keane, D Burke; C Denney, P Blake, R Murphy.

Subs: R O’Connell for Burke (28), M Hyde for Blake (42), A Murphy for Dennehy (51), D Blake for O’Sullivan (60+).

Referee: Pat Lyons (Bishopstown).