Cork PIFC: Ruairí Deane inspires Bantry Blues comeback against Nemo Rangers but both are eliminated
Bantry Blues' Ruairi Deane breaks away from Charlie Coughlan, Nemo Rangers ,during their McCarthy Insurance Group Premier Intermediate Football Championship game in Rosscarbery. Picture: Martin Walsh.
There were times when survival looked the likeliest outcome for Bantry Blues. There were times when the knockouts were in sight. And, for a stretch, the relegation playoff loomed largest of all in their Premier Intermediate Football Championship bout with Nemo Rangers on Saturday.
By the close in Rosscarbery, Bantry had secured their status but lost their chance. They beat Nemo Rangers by five, which spared them the drop, but not by the eight-point margin needed to edge Aghada on scoring difference, who were beaten by Aghabullogue.
Nemo, for their part, were dragged under by Bantry’s victory. Level with Aghada on points (2) and scoring difference (-4), their superior head-to-head counted for nothing once Bantry joined the jam. Aghada’s higher “points for” column proved decisive.
At half-time, Bantry were staring at the relegation playoff. Three minutes into the second half, they were in the hunt for a quarter-final.
Oh, the permutations.
Deane knew it. So did the sideline. A simple, but clear discussion was had between the two. Their six point lead in the 51st minute wasn’t enough; they needed eight.
He set about it himself in the next passage of play, bulldozing through four Nemo tackles before releasing to Arthur Coakley. Coakley fisted over when a goal might have ended the argument.
Nonetheless, that 52nd minute effort and another on 55 from sub Dara McCarthy gave them the eight point margin they needed. They were going through.
Until a minute later. Tim O’Brien pounced on a rebound for Nemo’s only goal, after Cillian O’Brien had blocked Conor O’Donovan’s initial effort on the line. Seconds later, Conor Shalloe drilled a two-pointer.
From eight clear, Bantry were back to three ahead, and Nemo were the ones alive on scoring maths.
That, too, didn’t last.
In additional time, Bantry struck the final blows — Deane to Sheedy; over the bar. Coakley with a free, and one last charge when Bantry’s most influential trio of O’Leary, Coakley and Deane combined, only for Deane to be hauled down. No penalty came, no third goal came, and the clock ran out.
Neither left Ross with what they wanted.
The first half barely hinted at the drama to follow. Three points in the opening quarter left Bantry 0-2 to 0-1 ahead before a Coakley free put them two clear. Nemo then rattled off six without reply, Liam Healy landing a two-pointer in the run, to move 0-7 to 0-3 in front on 29 minutes. Bantry clipped one back before the break, but survival looked remote.
Enter Deane. Off the bench at half-time, his impact was immediate. Within three minutes, Bantry had gone from three down to three up. First, Deane fed Sean O’Leary, who laid off for Coakley to net. Half a minute later, Mark Óg O’Sullivan and Paddy Cronin combined brilliantly for another goal.
Nemo rallied with frees either side of Cronin’s glaring miss from point-blank range, but Bantry had momentum now. Coakley landed three in succession, Sheedy struck the two-pointer, and from there the permutations took over.
They survived. But they did not advance.
A Coakley 1-7 (0-5 f), D Sheedy 0-4 (1 tp), P Cronin 1-0, D McCarthy, J Sheedy 0-1 each.
B O’Driscoll 0-4 (0-2 f), T O’Brien 1-0, L Healy 0-3 (1 tp, 0-1 f), C Shalloe 0-2 (tp), C O’Donovan (f), O Whyte 0-1 each.
J Lyons; D Quinn, C Coughlan, T O’Brien; N O’Shea, C Shalloe, C O’Neill; D Coughlan, B O’Neill; S Burke, L Healy, O Whyte; B O’Driscoll, C O’Donovan, A Cronin.
C Yelland for Cronin (40), F Twohig for O’Driscoll (43), E Kelly for D Coughlan, R Hogan for Burke (both 52).
S Murray; S Thornton, B Foley, C Cronin; E O’Shea, K Coakley, M Óg O’Sullivan; R O’Mahony, S O’Leary; D Sheedy, K Casey, J Sheedy; E Minihane, A Coakley, P Cronin.
R Deane for Minihane (HT), C O’Brien for Foley (40), D McCarthy for J Sheedy (42), D Daly for Cronin (52), S Keevers for O’Shea (59).
J Enright (Ballyteague)
App?
