Premier SFC: Stylish Nemo breeze past Douglas
Nemo's Kevin Fulignati under pressure from Douglas players Nathan Walsh and Luis Dwan Fogarty. Picture: David Creedon
In what was a disappointing city derby, Nemo Rangers breezed past Douglas in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC contest at Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday evening.
Both teams had two points apiece coming into this Group 3 Round 2 clash, but it was Robbie O’Dwyer’s team that led throughout and never looked at any stage of being reeled in. They are in a strong position to qualify once again for the knockout stages but it isn’t rubberstamped yet.
This southside derby lacked that championship intensity, but Nemo Rangers won’t mind about that, they did what had to be done.
They led by six points as early as the 21st minute and were coasting at that stage in truth. They were 12 points clear at the interval. They went 20 minutes without a score, but the result was never in doubt.
Douglas, wearing their away kit, didn’t show their defensive solidity having had the best defensive record in the Division 1 league this year and limited their opening round opponents St Michael’s to four points.
Douglas only had two scorers on what was a forgettable evening for them. They did play the last 13 plus minutes with 14 players, but the game was pretty much over at that stage.
Nemo Rangers set their stall out early having been sluggish in the opening 30 minutes against Ballincollig four weeks ago. Mark Cronin kicked over a two-pointer after three minutes following smart play by the Trabeg-based outfit.
Douglas had the majority of possession in the opening quarter, but wrong decision making and four wides didn’t help their cause during that period. Their opposition were the opposite, Conor Horgan extended his side’s lead with a white flag after 10 minutes before Douglas did get their first score two minutes later.
It was worth the wait too when Shane Kingston clipped over a point from the tightest of angles.
Another two-pointer from Mark Cronin, this time from a free, gave Nemo a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage after 19 stop-start minutes.
Ronan Dalton and Bryan Hayes pointed for their team, but Douglas had a goal opportunity sandwiched between those scores, Conor Russell’s powerful shot was beaten away excellently by Nemo and Cork netminder Micheál Aodh Martin.
The winners were more economical and struck for a goal after 25 minutes when a typical swift Nemo move resulted in Conor Horgan finishing to the net, 1-7 to 0-1.
The teams did trade points, Shane Kingston for Douglas and Kevin O’Donovan for Nemo before Dalton kicked over Nemo’s third two-pointer. The same player got the last score of the first half, 1-11 to 0-2 at half-time.
It was a fairly low-key start to the second half before Douglas did score 1-1 in a minute. Shane Kingston with the point while impressive sub Seán Coakley netted a gorgeous goal as he chipped the ball over Martin, 1-11 to 1-3 after 37 minutes.
Douglas sub Jack Cunningham couldn’t have had a better chance of getting his side’s second goal, but somehow from close range, he failed to hit the back of the net with 17 minutes left. A Coakley free did leave seven points in it.
Douglas though were then reduced to 14 players after 47 minutes after a David Buckley second yellow card. After three wides after the short whistle and 20 minutes without a score, O’Dwyer’s charges did finally score 12 minutes from time after Mark Cronin slotted over an easy free, 1-12 to 1-4.
The closing stages really petered out. Nemo kicked three of the last six points to ease to an eight-point victory.
Alan O’Donovan picked up a second yellow card for Nemo right at the end, no damage done.
M Cronin 0-6 (1 2pt, 1 2pt f, 0-1 f), C Horgan 1-2, R Dalton 0-3 (1 2pt), K O’Donovan 0-2, K Histon, B Hayes 0-1 each.
S Kingston 0-5 (0-1 f), S Coakley 1-2 (0-1 f).
M A Martin; M Hill, C Molloy, K Histon; C McCartan, S Cronin, K Fulignati; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; B Cripps, M Cronin, K O’Donovan; B Hayes, R Dalton, C Horgan.
C Kiely for B Cripps (22, inj), L Horgan for R Dalton (35, inj), C Moore for K Fulignati (58, inj).
A Cotter; N Walsh, N Lynch, J O’Callaghan-Maher; S Aherne, J Burke, C Kingston; D Buckley, K Shanahan; P Lucey, L Dwan-Fogarty, A Cantwell; S Powter, C Russell, S Kingston.
S Coakley for C Kingston (30 to f-t, temp), B Powter for P Lucey (h-t), J Cunningham for C Russell (39), D Ward for J O’Callaghan-Maher (54), S O’Leary for A Cantwell (64, inj).
Ciarán Murphy (Glanworth).
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