Carbery Rangers and Éire Óg to battle it out for top flight survival 

21 years ago, both Carbery Rangers and Éire Óg were in their respective divisional Junior A football ranks.

It has been some journey for both since, but for one of the clubs this afternoon - barring a draw after extra-time – they will lose their top flight football status on Leeside. It's a game where no one wants to end up, it’s the relegation play-off encounter in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC as Carbery Rangers and Éire Óg lock horns in Enniskeane today at 1.30pm. Third time lucky after two postponements due to the weather.

Carbery Rangers have been in the top grade since winning the IFC in 2005, two years after winning the County JAFC. It was the final year before the Cork County Board introduced the Premier Intermediate football grade in 2006. The Rosscarbery-based outfit have had a memorable journey, regularly making the business end of the championship before they made the final in 2014, but lost to Ballincollig. They would get their revenge two years later by claiming their first Andy Scannell trophy after edging out the Village.

In Skibbereen in 2019, Ross produced a sterling performance to get the better of their fierce rivals Castlehaven in the SFC Round 2 clash after extra time by two points. It was the final year of the old championship structure before the group format was introduced. It was the end of the road for the Haven, while Carbery Rangers would only move onto Round 3 before losing to St Finbarr’s narrowly by three points.

Since then, both Carbery Rangers and Castlehaven have headed in the opposite direction. Ross have only reached the business end of the championship once, which was in 2022, losing to eventual winners Nemo Rangers by a point at the quarter-final stage. The Haven lost the 2020 final, but claimed the county title in 2023.

Carbery Rangers haven’t won a championship game since Sunday, August 14 2022 when they beat today's opposition in the second game in Group 1. Seamus Hayes will be hoping his first championship win as boss will come later on in his second campaign at the helm.

Éire Óg didn’t make their breakthrough in the big ball until 2008 when they won the County JAFC. The IFC crown arrived in 2014 followed by winning the PIFC in 2019. A season later, they claimed the SAFC trophy. Those of a certain age in Ovens and Farran certainly wouldn’t have dreamt of an Éire Óg football team in the top grade in Cork football going back 20 years ago, but that’s where they have been since 2021. They rattled the eventual winners St Finbarr’s in the quarter-final in their maiden Premier Senior season. 

But, the results since don’t lie. The Muskerry side have only won one of nine group games, which was the narrow victory over Carrigaline in an opening group match in 2023.

Today’s battle with Carbery Rangers will be Éire Óg’s second relegation play-off in three seasons having had to beat Newcestown in 2022 to stay afloat.

It isn’t a huge surprise when you weigh up everything that both of these teams have ended up in this position. But, victory today could change everything for the better after a difficult few years for both. Lose, and it could go two ways, a chance to reset and if you don’t do that, you could drop even further.

The game probably won’t be a match for the purists with so much on the line, but the winners won’t care a jot. Relegation football is different. It’s trepidation, not excitement. And that drips down into the football, which becomes nerve-wracking and tense. Every mistake you make could potentially be the one that relegates your club and that can play on the decision making of players. 

It’s no secret what club this scribe is affiliated with. Living next to Éire Óg's complex, it has been hard to escape the nerves in recent weeks. But, I also have strong ties in Rosscarbery.

Both teams are so proud of their top flight status. May the best team win.