Seamus Hayes and John O'Rourke on how Carbery Rangers can use relegation win as a springboard

Seamus Hayes was relieved to witness his Carbery Rangers team retain their McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC status at the expense of Éire Óg in Enniskeane last Saturday.

The West Cork club won 1-11 to 2-6 on a day John O’Rourke shone and Paul Hodnett’s second-half goal proved crucial.

So, Carbery Rangers will play a 20th consecutive year in Cork’s top football grade while Éire Óg return to a Senior A competition they won four years ago.

“Ah listen, we have been waiting for that win for a long time,” Hayes admitted. “Couldn’t believe their injury-time goal ended up in the back of the net. I was just looking at the ref and saying please don’t let another play go ahead.

“I think we really deserved to win that game. Without a doubt, we were the better team on the day and the performance from the lads was exceptional, especially given the pressure that they were under.

“We were here last year against Clonakilty and leaned on that experience. We are a young mobile team and it suits to move the ball that bit faster.

“The pressure was on at half-time but the response was huge.” 

Rangers’ manager’s relief was the same overriding emotion felt by Cork senior and Carbery Rangers stalwart John O’Rourke.

“This means a lot to us,” the Cork senior footballer said.

We went up senior in 2005 and the club has built, year on year, on that. There is a proud tradition for the last 20 years.

“The last thing we wanted was to go down to the lower grade. This means a lot but we will be hoping to push on and use this as a springboard going into next year. Hopefully, we can improve next year and push on to where we want to get to.” 

Rangers have both momentum and a host of young players ready to step up in 2025.

“There are a lot of good lads coming through over the next two or three years,” O’Rourke agreed. “This is a vital stage for the club. We have seen our neighbours like Dohenys and O’Donovan Rossa struggle to get back up from Senior A. 

Once you go down it is difficult to get back again, it is such a tough grade.

“Competition is savage in Cork right now and that’s why we knew it was so important to stay up Premier Senior.” 

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Éire Óg coach Paudie Kissane didn’t hide his disappointment at the outcome of a game as an injury-time Daniel Healy goal arrived too late to make a difference.

“We came here, same as Ross, knowing it was going to be an unbelievably tough match,” Kissane said.

“There is never much in it between premier senior teams. It is the right format too because to get results, you have to perform to a certain level. We were in a decent place at half time but, ultimately, the second half performance was nowhere near good enough.

“Credit to Carbery Rangers for taking advantage of that. It is hard to talk about tomorrow when you are dealing with the immediate aftermath of relegation.”