Douglas U21 footballers outgun Nemo Rangers in City Division final

Douglas 0-17 (0-1-15) Nemo Rangers 0-11 (0-2-7)

Douglas were crowned PharmaCare Seandún U21 A Football champions as they defeated last year’s beaten finalists Nemo Rangers in the decider before a sizeable attendance at Ballinlough.

After a slow start, Douglas gained control coming up to half-time and with marquee forward Sean Coakley in deadly form, they were worthy winners.

Both sides resorted to defensive tactics as it took eight minutes for either side to register a single score. A two-pointer in the first half for Douglas was to be the difference between the sides. Douglas outscored the Trabeg side in the second half, with Nemo Rangers converting two frees from outside the Douglas 40-metre arc.

Sean Coakley opened the scoring for Douglas, while Fiachra Twohig responded for the Trabeg side. Conor Cusack tagged on a point for Nemo Rangers before persistent fouling was to prove costly for the Trabeg side. Coakley and Jack Cunningham converted a free each for Douglas. 

Nemo Rangers were also to be denied the game’s first goal-scoring opportunity in this period, as Douglas netminder James O’Flaherty pulled off a point-blank save from Nemo Rangers’ Ruairí Hogan.

Bryan Hayes levelled matters at three points apiece with a point for the Trabeg side, entering the second quarter, before Coakley put Douglas back in the driving seat with a two-pointer in the 19th minute. Cunningham and Cusack traded points from play before O’Sullivan reduced the margin to the minimum, with Nemo Rangers’ first score from a placed ball.

Douglas narrowly missed a chance to increase their lead as Cunningham’s free rebounded off the upright shortly before the break. Coakley added a point from play for Douglas, two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half, to give his side a 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Douglas had Nemo Rangers pinned back for most of an openly contested third quarter as Coakley tagged on two points from play. Donnacha Reddington and Sean O’Leary also chipped in with one each. The Trabeg side responded with points by Colin Molloy and Tim O’Brien.

Douglas continued to have Nemo Rangers on the back foot entering the final quarter as Coakley scored two unanswered points and Chris O’Keeffe added one to leave Douglas leading 0-14 to 0-7.

Nemo keeper Joe Lyons pulled off a spectacular save from Harry Quilligan of Douglas in the 51st minute. O’Sullivan replied for Nemo Rangers with his first two-pointer from a free, to reduce the deficit to five points.

Quilligan, Cunningham and Coakley each added further points from play for Douglas though to stretch the margin to eight points. 

O’Sullivan landed another two-point free, two minutes from time, before the final whistle was greeted with scenes of jubilation by the Douglas supporters.

Scorers for Douglas: S Coakley 0-10 (0-1 f, 1 2pt), J Cunningham 0-3 (0-1f), D Reddington, S O’Leary, C O’Keeffe, H Quilligan 0-1 each.

Nemo Rangers: D O’Sullivan 0-5 (0-1 f, 2 2pt) F Twohig 0-2; C Molloy, T O’Brien, B Hayes, C Cusack 0-1 each.

DOUGLAS: J O’Flaherty; L Fogarty, J O’Callaghan-Maher, C Mac Phaidin; O Barry, D Buckley, D O’Callaghan; J Burke, D Reddington; A Young, S O’Leary, R Hanley; N O’Leary, J Cunningham, S Coakley.

Subs: H Quilligan for Mac Phaidin (2, inj), E O’Flynn for Hanley, C O’Keeffe for SS O’Leary (both 43), C Reddington for Young (55), E Collins for N O’Leary (56, inj).

NEMO RANGERS: J Lyons; N Ó Sé, D Quinn, C O’Neill; O White, C Molloy, T O’Brien; B O’Neill, E Kelly; C Yelland, R Hogan, F Twohig; B Hayes, C Cusack, D O’Sullivan.

Subs: C Power for Kelly (40), L Healy for Hayes (46, inj), T Kelly for Cusack (52), P O’Dwyer for Yelland (54).

Referee: Cathal Ó Murchu (Brian Dillon’s).