GAA Talking Points: Cork footballers must make most of David Buckley's talent
Newcestown's David Buckley breaks out of defence earlier this season against St Michael's. Picture: David Creedon
It will be an Old Firm Premier Senior football championship final in a fortnight after all, as both Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s backed up their favourite statuses in their respective semi-finals at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, but both wins did not come without a scare element.
No disrespect to Nemo, but every neutral present would have been hoping for a Newcestown win in Sunday’s opening semi. That is the natural position when you get a club with seven All-Ireland titles and 23 county gongs versus a club from a small town in rural west Cork with not a single Premier Senior title to boast about in its long history, despite them proudly presiding in the top grade in both codes.
Nemo needed goals to save their season and they found two of them, just at the right times, from the unlikely pair of Kieran Histon and Kevin Fulignati. Even after those majors, Nemo still needed Conor Horgan to rescue the draw on the hour mark.
When Newcestown took the lead in extra time, it looked on once more, but credit to Nemo for utilising their vast reservoirs of experience to eek out an impressive victory, thanks to late scores from Luke Horgan and the ultra-accurate Mark Cronin.
Richard O’Sullivan and Luke Meade both bravely attempted to rescue the game at the death for Newcestown, which would have sent us hurtling toward the lottery of penalties, but both their efforts went agonisingly wide.
Newcestown had seen off Valley Rovers, Mallow, Castlehaven and Carrigaline to reach the last four and then drew with the juggernaut city side Nemo Rangers, before coming up just short in the last few minutes of extra time. They can be supremely proud of their efforts in this campaign and possibly look well placed to kick on and break the stranglehold that the big three of Nemo, the Barrs and Castlehaven have in the county.
Ballincollig could not boast Newcestown’s unbeaten record coming into their semi-final against St Finbarr’s, but they have long held ambitions of breaking into the big time themselves.
When they stormed back from five down midway through the second half to level proceedings with a David O’Leary goal and points from Sean Kiely and Dara Dorgan, they must have thought it was going to be their day, but the Barrs had an extra gear which got them over the line.
St Finbarr’s failed to register a single score from play in the opening half, which will undoubtedly be a worry heading into the decider, but the 2-10 they struck with the wind at their backs was a scoring rate that few clubs in the country could resist.
There was no surprise that Steven Sherlock was at the forefront of this scoring burst. His brilliantly slotted goal in the 50th minute set the game alight, while he also rifled over two huge two-pointers in the second half to set the Barr’s on their way.
Ballincollig had done superbly to deny the Togher sharpshooter time and space in the first half but he did wreck after the change of ends to show Cork football supporters just what they missed in this year’s inter-county campaign with his 1-9 salvo.
David Buckley gave a similar display in the first semi-final with his nine-point display lighting that game up, and in particular the three huge two-pointers he slotted. If Cork do not require a forward of Buckley’s quality, then they must have some attack!
Saturday night was all about the Senior A grade with Knocknagree really looking the part in their 12-point destruction of Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, as the Duhallow side look to get the job done at the third time of asking, after losing the 2022 and 2024 finals.
It also helps when you have the O’Connor clan to call upon in attack, with five different O’Connors combining to register 2-13 on the scoreboard, with Anthony scoring 1-6, Denis 0-4 and Niall grabbing a crucial goal.
In the other semi-final, Cill na Martra had four points to spare over Éire Óg but in truth never looked like losing that one. That Senior A final could be a cracker and whoever wins it will fancy their chances to make waves up at Premier Senior next year.
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