FL Division 1: Nemo Rangers win as Castlehaven run out of time
Nemo Rangers' Daniel Quinn wins the ball from Castlehaven's Jamie O'Driscoll during the McCarthy Insurance Group FL Division 1 game at Castlehaven on Sunda. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
A late Castlehaven fightback against Nemo Rangers fell short, albeit in unusual circumstances, in Sunday morning’s McCarthy Insurance Group FL Division 1 game at Moneyvollahane.
With a burst of 1-2 between the 50th and 54th minutes having put Nemo into a 2-9 to 0-8 lead, the points looked secured but the hosts managed to claw their way back. After sub Mark Crowley set up Mark Collins for a point, another replacement, Donncha O’Donovan, jinked his way through the Nemo defence his low shot ended up in the net, 2-9 to 1-9.
Micheál Maguire almost followed that with another goal, Donagh O’Leary saving at the near post, but he had been fouled prior to shooting and Collins sent over the close-range free that accrued.
From the kickout, Jack O’Neill claimed a mark and fed Crowley, who drove forward. The Haven eventually won a free for a pick off the ground - however, the facility to attempt an effort from outside the arc for two points is not available for such offences. Under the belief that there was more time to be played, Collins tapped over but that proved to be the last action as referee Niall Hayes brought an end to proceedings on the kickout.
The result leaves Nemo on ten points and still in with a shout of making the league final, whereas county champions the Haven are still in relegation danger with three games left.
Though they were able to call on nine of the side that started last year’s county final win over Nemo – who had eight – six of the Haven’s eight scorers that day were absent.
The home side did start well with points from Seán Browne and full-back Tomás O’Mahony, and while Bryan Hayes got Nemo off the mark, the Haven had the better of the play.
This was exemplified by the good move – heavily involving midfielder Andrew Whelton – that Shane O’Connell rounded off, but, equally, other chances were wasted.
After Jamie O’Driscoll made it 0-4 to 0-2 with a nice point on 15, Nemo replied as Oisín Whyte, Eoin Nation and Hayes combined for a Conor Shalloe score and there was added impact as Haven wing-back Joe Bohane was black-carded – unfairly, they felt – for a foul in the lead-up.
The Haven didn’t score again in the first half but they didn’t allow themselves to be over-run, either. Whyte drew Nemo level on 19 after a Conor Yelland half-chance of a goal was blocked by O’Connell and they had the lead for the first time as Hayes landed a two-pointer.
It sent Nemo in at half-time with that 0-6 to 0-4 advantage but Jamie O’Driscoll halved the deficit on the restart, benefiting from an O’Mahony pass after a Micheál Maguire turnover.
Nemo’s riposte was strong. They had brought on Ross Corkery and Ronan Dalton at half-time and that pair combined well as Corkery’s pass found Dalton in space for a smart finish to the net; then Conor Horgan’s point made it 1-7 to 0-5.
The Haven came back well with Micheál Maguire and his brother Cathal pointing along with Collins to close the game to two before Dalton did well to force a turnover and then unselfishly play in Bryan Hayes for the second Nemo goal on 50.
That made it 2-7 to 0-8, with Conor Horgan and Dalton extending the lead to seven before the Haven almost wiped it out in the closing stages.
M Collins 0-4 (0-3 f), D O’Donovan 1-0,J O’Driscoll 0-2, T O’Mahony, M Maguire (0-1 f), C Maguire, S O’Connell, S Browne 0-1 each.
B Hayes 1-3 (1 2pt), R Dalton 1-1, C Horgan 0-2, C Shalloe, O Whyte, C Yelland 0-1 each.
S Collins; J O’Regan, T O’Mahony, S Walsh; J Bohane, M Collins, C Maguire; A Whelton, J O’Neill; S O’Connell, R Minihane, S Browne; J O’Driscoll, R Whelton, M Maguire.
M Crowley for O’Connell (39), D O’Donovan for Browne (41).
D O’Leary; C Moore, D Quinn, E Nation; C Shalloe, K Fulignati, S Cronin; B Murphy, A O’Donovan; O Whyte, C Kiely, B Cripps; C Horgan, B Hayes, C Yelland.
N O’Shea for Nation, R Corkery for Whyte, R Dalton for Kiely (all half-time), M Cronin for Murphy (45), C Coughlan for Moore, T O’Brien for Shalloe (both 54).
N Hayes (Carbery Rangers).
App?
