Division 1 FL: Nemo Rangers secure their top flight status with a four point win over Newcestown
Mark Hill, Nemo Rangers, Seamus O'Sullivan, Newcestown. 2026 McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 Football League, Nemo Rangers V's Newcestown, at Trabeg, Cork.
Nemo Rangers have secured their top flight status in the McCarthy Insurance Cork County Football League as they defeated Newcestown before a good-sized attendance at Trabeg on Sunday morning.
The Trabeg side held Newcestown scoreless in the game’s opening quarter, while the second half was more evenly contested as the West Cork side outscored Nemo Rangers by six points to five.
Newcestown were pinned back for the opening half as the Trabeg side raced into a lead of five points without reply.
Ross Corkery tagged on two points. Stephen Cronin, Jack O’Brien and Luke Horgan also chipped in with one each.
Wayward kick-outs were to prove costly for the Carbery side in this period.
Their net-minder Christopher Wright pulled off a spectacular save, to deny Nemo Rangers the game’s first goal-scoring opportunity, midway through the first half.
The Trabeg side also missed the game’s first two-point scoring opportunity as Conor Horgan’s free from the edge of Newcestown’s 40-metre arc sailed wide of the target.
Micheal McSweeney was also tidying up at the heart of the West Cork side’s defence, to prevent Nemo Rangers from creating scoring opportunities following a sideline ball.
A combination of persistent fouling and over-carrying was also proving to be costly for the Trabeg side, but wayward shooting by Newcestown and solid defensive work by Nemo Rangers was to prevent the West Cork side from putting points on the board.
Newcestown began to turn the screw, and they opened their account when Richard O’Sullivan landed a two-pointer from play in the 17th minute. The Trabeg side replied instantly as Conor Horgan converted the game’s first free.
The West Cork side continued to have Nemo Rangers pinned back, but solid defensive work by the Trabeg side was to be their undoing.
They were also to be denied a goal-scoring opportunity by the Trabeg side’s goalkeeper Micheál Aodh Martin.
Oisín Whyte was also turning over possession for Nemo Rangers to prevent the West Cork side from creating scoring chances.
Five minutes before the break, Newcestown’s Seamus O’Sullivan pointed a free, but Martin responded with a two-pointer from a free on the West Cork side’s 45, on the stroke of half-time.
This left the scoreline reading 0-8 to 0-3 in favour of Nemo Rangers at the interval.
Seamus O’Sullivan got the first score of the second half, to leave the West Cork side four points in arrears, courtesy of his second pointed free. Barry Cripps restored Trabeg side’s five-point advantage with a point from play.
Nemo Rangers stretched the margin to seven points as Dara O’Sullivan slotted over a point from play and Corkery added a pointed free, approaching the final quarter.
Seamus O’Sullivan slotted over his first two-pointer for Newcestown, to reduce the deficit to five points.
This was cancelled out as Dara O’Sullivan and Conor Horgan each added points without reply for the Trabeg side.
With time almost up, the West Cork side dominated proceedings territorially, as Seamus O’Sullivan landed his second two-pointer.
He also converted his second free in stoppage time, with the last kick of the game.
R Corkery 0-3 (0-1f); MA Martin 0-2 (1 2pt f); C Horgan 0-2 (0-1f); D O’Sullivan 0-2; B Cripps, J O’Brien, S Cronin, L Horgan 0-1 each.
S O’Sullivan 0-7 (2 2pt, 0-3f), R O’Sullivan 0-2 (1 2pt).
MA Martin; C Moore, M Hill, N O’Shea; L Horgan, S Cronin, E Nation; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; O Whyte, C Horgan, B Cripps; R Corkery, D O’Sullivan, J O’Brien.
C Shalloe for O’Brien (21, inj), K Fulignati for Whyte (38).
C Wright; M Kenneally, J Burrows, J Kelleher; C Dinneen, M McSweeney, R O’Sullivan; E Collins, S O’Donovan; L Meade, T Twomey, J Kenneally; C O’Dononvan, S O’Sullivan, P Collins.
D McAree for Meade (1), O O’Sullivan O’Dononvan for C O’Donovan (38), J McSweeney for J Kenneally (56), C O’Donovan for E Collins (60+).
Robert Whelan (Aghada).
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