Nemo outgun Belgooly in seven-goal Junior A hurling thriller

Nemo Rangers 3-21 Belgooly 4-12

NEMO Rangers have booked their place in the semi-finals of the Co-op Superstores County Junior A Hurling Championship, as they defeated Belgooly in a clash that produced seven goals at Páirc Uí Rinn. 

Nemo Rangers were on top for most of the first half, while the Carrigdhoun side had to wait until the 21st minute for their first score from play, as Barry Dwyer converted four frees. The second half was more evenly contested as Belgooly out-goaled the Trabeg side, with their fourth goal coming from a late sideline cut by Kevin Fitzgerald.

Nemo Rangers’ Shane Horgan and Belgooly’s Barry Dwyer, traded pointed frees, before the Trabeg side got two unanswered points from play.

Barry Dwyer converted three further frees for Belgooly, while the Trabeg side responded with three points from play.

Fitzgerald scored Belgooly’s first point from play from a difficult angle, before Shane Horgan drilled home the game’s opening goal from a free after 23 minutes.

Barry Dwyer converted a free for Belgooly and Conor O’Donovan added a point from play, while Shane Horgan got a point from a free and Barry Cripps chipped in with one from play.

Ronan Dalton got the Trabeg side’s second goal from the edge of the square and Shane Horgan added a point from play as the Trabeg side led 2-9 to 0-7 at the break.

Shane Horgan extended Nemo Rangers' lead with a further pointed free, before Belgooly began to seize the initiative. Ryan Long got the Carrigdhoun side’s first goal from the rebound of a save by Nemo Rangers net-minder and former Cork Senior footballer James Masters in the 34th minute.

Belgooly’s second goal came six minutes later when Conor O’Donovan pounced from the edge of the Nemo Rangers square.

In the 45th minute, Long exposed holes in the Trabeg side’s defence as he got Belgooly’s third goal from the edge of the Nemo Rangers square.

Belgooly promptly found themselves back on the defensive as Horgan converted a free and this was followed by the Trabeg side’s third goal from Peter Collins entering the final quarter.

Eoin O’Donovan slotted over three pointed frees in the final quarter, while Shane Horgan converted two 65s for Nemo Rangers.

The Trabeg side had two points from play on the board before Belgooly’s fourth goal in stoppage time.

Scorers: Nemo Rangers: S Horgan 1-12 (1-7 f, 0-2 65); R Dalton, P Collins 1-1 each; A Petrov, B Cripps 0-2 each; G Barrett 0-1 65; C Horgan, E Dilloughrey 0-1 each.

Belgooly: R Long 2-0; C O’Donovan 1-2; K Fitzgerald 1-1 (1-0 sl); B Dwyer 0-5 f; E O’Donovan 0-3f; S Kiely 0-1.

NEMO: J Masters; S O’Dwyer, P Morgan, B Murphy; B O’Neill, K O’Donovan, J Coogan; P Collins, S Cronin; M Cronin, B Cripps, S Horgan; A Petrov, R Dalton, J Kearney.

Subs: S Joyce for M Cronin (45), C Horgan for Petrov (47), E Dilloughrey for S Cronin (49), G Barrett for Kearney (56).

BELGOOLY: R Dwyer; C O’Sullivan, N O’Sullivan, J O’Sullivan; L Walsh, T O’Donovan, D Walsh; S Kiely, G O’Riordan; B Dwyer, E O’Donovan, C O’Donovan; K Fitzgerald, R Long, E Corkery.

Subs: F Walsh for B Dwyer (49, inj), E Dwyer for R Long (60+, inj).

Referee: Anthony O’Regan (Kilbrittian).